Brunette v Blonde
by luvulotts
Summary: Bella has always lusted over Edward Cullen, her best guy friend and brother to her best girlfriend. But what happens when she gets a mysterious call from a little boy and his mom saying that Edward is the father? Confusion, betrayal, love & drama ensue!
1. Prologue

**I know I've been AWOL and MIA for who knows how long now and I sincerely apologize. But as you all know life sometimes gets in the way and to be honest for some of that time I had lost the inspiration to continue writing my other fanfics. Anyway, here's what was going to be a little one-shot to get myself back into my writing game but turned into more lol. Anyway, I decided to to use one of my addictions: Facebook.**

**Full Summary: ****Bella has always lusted over Edward Cullen, her best guy friend and brother to her best girlfriend. But what happens when she gets a mysterious call from a little boy and his mom saying that Edward is the father and the child and mother aren't willing to let him go? Will Bella let Edward fulfill the fatherly role the child and mother wish for him to fulfill or will she fight for him tooth and nail? Confusion, betrayal, love & drama ensue**.**.. **

**WARNING: Some drug use may be part of the plot in the future. Hint: don't think 70's/80s rock band kind of drug use. But there will be some. So if you frown upon that, don't read it or skip it.  
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**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight.**

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**Tuesday, mid-afternoon...**

_Log-in_

_Email: sexylibrarian_

_Password: ******_

_Logging in…_

_What's on your mind?_

_**To Do List for Today: 1) Kill best friends. 2) Run away and never come back. 3) Eat fifty gallons of Ben and Jerry's Karmel Sutra ice cream. Not necessarily in that particular**__** order.**_

_Alice Cullen commented your status._

_**Bella, stop being so melodramatic! The guy was a total skeezball!**_

_Rosalie Hale commented your status._

_**Bella don't make me go over there and clog you with my Manolo Blahniks! The guy wore more hair grease than the Fonz!**_

_Comment Alice Cullen's comment on your status._

_**Says the one that dated the second coming of The Situation.**_

_Comment Rosalie Hale's comment on your status._

_**I'll steal them before they hit my skull!**_

_Logging off of Facebook…_

_Log off complete._

Another day, another ruined date by my "well-intentioned best friends", thus not getting laid tonight.

Story of my life.

As I wallowed in my self-pity my cell went off and without realizing it I answered without checking the caller I.D.

"Hello?" I answered.

"Hey Bella." A low throaty voice rang in my ear. Immediately I jolted from my seat like a scared Chihuahua.

"E-e-edward-d?" I stuttered stupidly, I mentally smacked my forehead, embarrassed.

"I just saw your Wall post, and the comments that followed…" I could hear a small ring of amusement in that wonderful, sexy baritone voice of his.

Did I mention that this man was the answer to my prayers? He was everything a woman could ever ask for and could ever dream of. Edward Anthony Cullen was God's gift to women and he didn't even know it. If he did, he sure as hell didn't make it obvious that he did.

"Uh… yeah…" I lowered my eyesight and immediately felt my entire body turn a bright red. _Oh god. He knew about my ruined blind date._

"I hope you weren't being serious about the killing part of your list. I love my twin sister very much and would be very jilted if she were to go away forever." He was teasing me.

"Yeah," the snarky facet of my personality sparked to life, "I'm sure you would be jilted. Jilted because I didn't give the honor of killing her yourself."

Alice may have ruined my date, but she was going to help me bond with her sexy-as-fuck twin brother.

He laughed out loud, his laugh as a mixture of wind chimes floating in the breeze and choir bells going off for Sunday Mass. I went into a school girl stupor and felt saliva accumulate in the corner of my mouth.

"Hmm… you know me too well…" He said this more to himself than to me. This made me very, very happy.

_I want to know you even more, baby, even more…_

"Hmph." I expressed my faux-annoyance but grinned internally.

"So I take it your date didn't go to well…?" He sounded somewhat oddly. As if he wanted to know but didn't want to come off as gossipy.

"Ugh. Don't remind me. Alice and Rose made it their mission not to get me laid tonight."

I said this out of frustration, and gasped like a dying fish when I realized that I had said that out loud.

He chuckled again, this time surprised and did I detect a hint of curiosity…?

"Too bad. A laid Bella is always a happy Bella." I could hear the sheer amusement now, I didn't know if to play the "I'm sorry" card or the "you-know-it-baby" card.

My mouth made up its minds before I approved.

"You know it baby, you know it." I covered my mouth, once again shocked at my comments, Edward on the other hand seemed drawn in.

"Hmm… I'll take note of that… baby…" He said the last word slowly and teasingly.

Oh god. We were reaching the point of no return and I couldn't be happier.

I wanted to test the waters but I didn't want to get sucked in too… it was a real conundrum. But once again, my mouth didn't listen to my brain.

"I would appreciate that… dar-"

"Bella!" A 5-foot-2-inch brunette monster with a pixie haircut stormed into my room baring gifts, followed by a blonde 5-foot-9-inch statuesque killer in five-inch Manolos carrying grocery bags.

Fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuckkkkkkk…

"Is that Alice?" Edward's normal voice came back, and his sultry whisper was gone. This tone of voice though, sounded a little peeved.

"Uh… yeah… with Rose right behind her." I chuckled nervously.

"Is that Edward?" Alice snatched my phone away and started to rant. "Why didn't you tell me you were planning to go to the Bahamas with the guys?" Before Edward could answer she went on, "I don't care that Emmett came up with the idea, why didn't you tell us?

What were you planning on doing over there exactly? Edward you better tell me or I'll be over there so fast- what do you mean I'm not letting you answer? Puh-leaze Edward don't make up stupid excuses! If you guys go to the Bahamas, us girls'll go to a Chippendales in Vegas and get hitched!"

Rose and I stared at each other totally alarmed. Everyone knew how crazy Alice was, but we also knew she would make her threats a reality if forced to.

Alice was in love with Jasper Whitlock, a mutual friend of Rose, myself and the Cullen siblings.

They had known each other for years, but Alice had never told Jasper her feelings for him because she felt that she wasn't ready for a committed relationship even if her feelings were returned. She still watched over Jasper's every move with the female population like the plague.

Jasper, an easy going Southern boy didn't realize that she felt this way towards him and considered this more of a little sister kind of jealousy rather than a madly-in-love woman's jealousy.

Which was utterly stupid because he felt the same way about her, except that he himself believed that Alice's free spirit would never accept his feelings because he wasn't as liberated as she was.

Everyone in our circle knew about this but everyone didn't do anything about it. It was fun to watch them dance around each other as well as the fact that they had to come to their own terms with their situation and feelings.

The Cullen siblings has an older brother. A goofball of a brother a should say. Emmett Cullen was more muscle than man, but he had the disposition of a teddy bear. He was madly in love with Rosalie and even though she knew about this and clearly she felt the same way about him, she would always play hard to get. She confided in me that it kept things fun and interesting. _To each their own_.

As Alice ranted on about naked Chippendales dancers to her bombarded hot brother and Rose unpacked the groceries she and Alice had brought, I contemplated on their situations. Both of my best friends technically had significant others and didn't take advantage of the fact, while I was shriveling away like a dried raisin in the sun, alone and without water in sight made me even more self-pitiful.

_Sigh…_

Three hours later, a mini-marathon of _Maury_ and two pints of _Ben & Jerry's Karmel Sutra _ice cream later I sat alone staring at my reflection in my laptop screen. Boy did I look tired. Not exhausted, but tired.

I sighed one again for the umpteenth time today and got up from my desk and walked to my bathroom, and went straight for the bottom drawer of my sink, and delved into the very corner of the sink. I sighed and turned on the water and the tub fill up as I undressed.

I turned to the bathroom door and realized that I hadn't closed it. I shrugged.

I lived alone so what was the point of closing my bathroom door. It wasn't like there was a dirty little pervert hiding in the hallway waiting for an unsuspecting bachelorette of 25 to undress in the privacy of her own home.

I let the water vapor attach itself to my skin as if asking it to take me away to a vapor heaven.

_Ha. That's funny._

I slowly walked into the tub and laid down. I got my body wet and waited for all of my muscles to relax.

_Sigh. Why am I so pitiful?_

I opened my legs and turned on the Rabbit I had bought a month before. For some weird reason, I was ashamed that I was actually trying to get off instead of feeling like it was routine.

Thankfully my Rabbit was the quiet type and even though I felt it vibrating, I didn't hear the normal buzz.

_Who the fuck am I going to bother if I live alone?_

I ignored my subconscious and went to work. I first began slowly, setting my Rabbit to the lowest vibrations and running it over my nipples. I felt the immediate tingle in my nether regions as well as my nipples answering my call. Tilting to a better angle, the vibrations began to increase even though the Rabbit was still set to the lowest frequency.

A moan escaped my lips, as I tried to imagine a sex god doing this to my body.

Edward came into view and hovered over me, perfect body and all. His lustful eyes taking me in as he lowered his lips to my skin. I bit my lip waiting for contact and moaned when his lips began to kiss my neck, nipping away. The weight of his body being a welcomed feeling, feeling his member poke my inner thigh.

His hands roaming, feeling… exploring. His fingers coming into contact with my most intimate places, caressing me, making me moan._Oh god…_

Edward chuckled. "I love it when you do that…" he whispered into my skin, his hot breath exciting my nipple as I waited for him to take it into his mouth.

When he finally did, I arched my back telling him nonverbally to take all of me and not just a small part of me. He responded by wrapping his muscular arms around my waist and drawing me more to him, answering my quiet question.

Back in reality I had risen the frequency of the vibrations and was now about to climax and still trying to retain the image of Edward making love to me in my bathtub.

"Oh god!" I yelled, as I lost control of my body and started convulsing madly.

"Oh god… oh god…" I said, taking in the waves of utter pleasure as my body released itself from the invisible knot I had caused. "Mmm…." I moaned and groaned letting the waves wash over me, "mmm… that feels so good…"

A few minutes later I laid in my now-soiled bathwater and let my body relax a little bit more. I unplugged the tub and got up, getting ready to clean myself up, still trying to erase the wonderful images of Edward over me.

_Facebook Log-in:_

_Email: sexylibrarian_

_Password: ******_

_Logging in…_

_What's on your mind?_

_**I spend too much time fantasizing. It's turning into a problem, makes me think I actually have something I could only aspire too in the dark… :l**_

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"Bay leaves… onions… olive oil… tomato sauce… half a clove of garlic… butter… salt… pasta… ok." I checked my ingredients to make a simple spaghetti dinner. As I prepped the pasta water, there was a knock to my door._ That's weird… Alice and Rosalie usually barge in… it must be someone else…_

I opened the door to find all of my hopes and dreams standing casually outside, tussled hair and all.

"Edward?" I asked dumbly as I took in the image of a Greek god.

"Bella." He grinned, looking fabulous in khakis, a black turtleneck, and sneakers with his hand in his pocket, you could slightly see his perfect abs through the lucky-as-fuck wool. Oh how I hated that awesome fabric that moment.

"W-what are you doing here?" I asked totally blind-sighted.

"Aren't you going to invite me in?" He asked bashfully.

"Oh." I slapped myself internally at my lack of manners, "of course, come in." I gave way and took in his expensive designer cologne with a hint of something special. Something uniquely his.

Edward walked into the living room which was a clear shot to the kitchen and grinning, asked, "watcha makin'?" He was trying to be casual.

I giggled, "Spaghetti a la Simple." I said, walking over to the kitchen hoping I didn't sound like a dork.

"Really? Expecting someone?" That tone of his once again was present. The curious one.

"Nope, not at all. Well unless you count my ghost-of-a-boyfriend."

_Oh god… _I winced.

Edward chuckled and sat down in one of the bar stools from my breakfast table. "I hope he's not the jealous type." He winked. I stared at him and said nothing, I was stupefied by him…

He ran his hands through his disheveled copper-blond hair and messed it up even more, he looked stunning. "You know the Chippendales thing kinda had me in knots. Do you have anything that will permanently erase the image of naked, greased up, musclemen giving my sister a lap dance?"

"I have some Firewiskey." I said laughing like a dumbass.

"What's that? A new brand of Jack Daniels?"

_What a major dumbass, and a total nerd. _I thought about myself

"Ha… ha… um… _Harry Potter _humor…"

_What a dork! Now he's gonna think I'm a total spaz! _

"Oh…" He grinned, understanding, "well if it's good for Harry it's good for me."

"I don't think Rowling has given the real world the recipe yet so you're gonna have to live with regular Jack Daniels." I said trying to salvage the situation, while taking out my bottle of Jack.

"Darn that Harry. So fucking lucky." Edward said, snapping his fingers and grinning.

"Yeah, so fucking lucky. He gets to wave his little wand and all his wishes magically appear." I slid his whisky on the rocks, just like he liked and watched him raise his drink.

"Ha ha ha, I can make that statement so dirty but that's Emmett's job." I blushed realizing what he was saying and what he was thinking.

"Aren't you going to serve yourself a drink?" He asked watching me stare at him.

"Uh… sure…"

"Cheers." He said raising his drink and grinning mischievously. This reminded me of what had happened on Saturday night at a club reopening that had been held in the beach near my hometown an hour's drive from Seattle.

There had been a lot for drinking and a little bit of making out on mine and Edward's side. But he and I acted as if it had never happened let alone had we commented it to each other or everyone else. I tried hard not to think about that night but sometimes it would pop up out of nowhere...

"Oh the spaghetti!" I ran to the pot and realized that the pasta had overcooked and was now a pot full of slimy pasta and half of the water I had put in.

"Oh no!" Edward ran to my side and watched the ruined pasta with the same sadness that I had all over my face.

"I'm sorry for this Bella. If I hadn't distracted you, your dinner wouldn't have been ruined."

"Don't worry about it Edward, I already ate with the girls before starting this. I was going to make this in case I got cravings in the middle of the night." I laughed.

"I don't believe you." He said, giving me the eye.

"Seriously," I meant it, "I already ate three days' worth of food an hour ago with your sister and Rose. I am not at all starving. You can call them to confirm." I joked.

"Hmm… I believe you." He said, still doubtful but deciding to let it go.

I smiled and took the pot and put it in the sink, I would throw away the contents when it cooled off. As I did this, I realized that I could feel Edward's gaze behind me and all of a sudden you could cut the air with a butter knife…

"Well," I cleared my throat and turned around, trying to melt the weird feeling that suddenly came into the room.

"Ugh." Edward groaned, putting his hand over his stomach.

"What's wrong?" I suddenly got scared, I thought he had suddenly came down with something, although I didn't know why.

"I haven't eaten anything… I'm starving."

Suddenly felt a wave of relief, "Oh my god, Edward! Don't scare me like that! I thought you got sick!"

Edward chuckled, "I will be if I don't eat something soon…" he hinted at something, then I noticed his mischievous eyes drifted off to my black leather-bound, alphabetized, homemade encyclopedia of fast food joints, mom-and-pops, restaurants, bars, clubs and hotels all ranging from $50 a night to $2500 a night the gang and I visited all the time in the tri-county region of Seattle. Complete with a full menu (don't ask how I acquired some of them), price range, health certification by the FDA, directions, business hours, customer ratings, type of attire preferred, type of atmosphere, and of course telephone numbers. _I'm borderline ODC, if you ask me…_

It was a very prized possession of mine. Even though it was mine whenever someone needed a phone number they would either call me to give them the heads up on the requirements for a certain place or if they had a hot date and wanted to take them to a just as hot club, ect…

As you could have guessed that was Emmett's situation a couple weeks ago. When Rosalie found out about it, she didn't talk to him for three consecutive weeks…

"Bella?" I heard the distant ring of Edward's voice.

"Huh?" I said dumbly as I came back to the present, once again I had gone into my own string of thoughts without realizing it.

"Are you here? You kind of zoned out." Edward said coming up to me and slightly smiling.

"Sorry, I kind of went somewhere and I didn't even realize it." I blushed a bright red and looked down, blushing even more for blushing.

"Wow, you look lovely in this shade of red…"

My head when up like a cannon ball being fired from a cannon, "huh?"

"Nothing." He grinned. I couldn't help but hope he would fess up to what he had meant by that comment but instead I went to my encyclopedia of businesses and turned to him as I walked away, "Chinese, Indian, French, Italian, what are you in the mood for?" I asked trying to sound bubbly.

"I thought you had already eaten…" He raised his left eyebrow, suspicious.

I laughed out loud, "that's true but I couldn't consider ice cream and various kinds of soft and hard candy a good supper." I said as I opened my encyclopedia to the fast food section.

"Bella, you said all that stuff before to make me feel better huh?" He said, coming to my brown faux-leather couch and sitting next to me.

"Somewhat, yes." I admitted, eyes stuck to the book. He chuckled sending chills down my spine and turning the page himself as he spoke and I stared at the book intently trying not to turn around and kiss him.

"Well I appreciate the courtesy," This made it hard because he was whispering since he was right next to my ear, "but you didn't have to do that." He pulled away before I could retort and after he turned to the Mongolian fast food place three blocks from here. "I think I'm in the mood for _Great Khan's _today." He said this in his easy tone as if nothing had happened.

_Little fucker…_

"Ok perfect. You order while I look for the _Pinot _and chill it." I got up and went to the kitchen. I needed a reason to step away from the situation and him. I didn't know why he and I always played this game and even though I loved it, I also hated it. as much as the thrill got me going, it was absolutely annoying to realize that we always ran in a circle, never-changing.

Just as I put my good red wine in the fridge, I got a phone call. I went to answer it as Edward read one of my many novels from my book case.

"Hello?"

"Hello, is this Bella Swan's residence?" The voice of a small boy asked. _Huh?_

"Yes…?"

"Is Daddy there?" The little boy asked. I turned to Edward, wide-eyed and totally gobsmacked, he stared back at me, tilting his head to side in curiosity. Just then I heard some rustling and an adult woman took the phone from the little boy.

"Jason, I told you I would call Daddy." She turned to the phone, "hello, sorry about that. My name is Tanya Delani and I'm looking for Edward Cullen. His sister, Alice told me I could reach him here."

"Yes… yes… Edward's here…" I looked at Edward, still totally shocked as he got up staring at me, silently asking who it was but I just gave him the phone and quietly walked into my room giving them privacy while trying to save myself from coming down the seams in front of him while his…_ son… _and… whatever _she_ was, were on the phone.

"Hello?" I heard Edward ask as I felt his eyes on me as I retreated. "Oh! Hi Tanya, yes-"

I closed my bedroom door and locked it, still in shock as I walked into the bathroom, locking it also and going to the tub and sitting there with my knees against my chest.

The man I was lusting over for the last six years, the man I felt I was falling in love with, the man I dreamt of every night, the man I considered to be my best guy friend had lied to me and had fathered a child who sounded big enough to work a telephone…

I didn't hear Edward's yells, bangs and pleadings through the things that separated us. all I heard were my dreams breaking.

How could he do this to me? _How?_

**EPOV**

"Alice?" I said frantically into my phone.

"What is it? Did you get Tanya's call?"

"I fucked up, Alice." I said, as I banged my head against Bella's bedroom door. I was currently sitting against it, waiting for her to come out after I uselessly banged it for her to open, asking her to hear my explination.

"Don't tell me Bella misunderstood?" Alice said startled, I could hear the panic in her voice.

"Yes. Apparently Jason wanted to talk to me so bad that he saw the Bella's number on the notepad and called me himself. Bella answered and Jason told her I was his daddy." I banged my head against the door again, in self-loathing. "Why didn't I tell her before?"

"Edward, where are you right now? Where's Bella? What happened?"

"In her apartment, she's locked in her bathroom but she locked the bedroom door so I wouldn't come anywhere near her most likely. She just handed me the phone and walked away like a zombie. Alice, please help me. I fucked up badly and I don't think she wants to see me any time soon. Please come over so you could explain. Please." I begged, I was so fucked and it had all been my fault.

_How the fuck am I going to get out of this one?_

**A/N: So? what did you think? Hope you liked it! And for those who are following my other stories, don't fret I'm currently working on all of the next updates, they'll be up with in the next few weeks!**_  
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	2. Brunette

**A/N: For those who think the worst of Edward: hope this chapter gives you a better grasp of his situation. And thanks for all the love :D  
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**Disclaimer: I do not own **_**Twilight.**_

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_"Edward, where are you right now? Where's Bella? What happened?"_

_"In her apartment, she's locked in her bathroom but she locked the bedroom door so I wouldn't come anywhere near her most likely. She just handed me the phone and walked away like a zombie. Alice, please help me. I fucked up badly and I don't think she wants to see me any time soon. Please come over so you could explain. Please." I begged, I was so fucked and it had all been my fault._

_How the fuck am I going to get out of this one?_

**The Saturday before, mid-afternoon...**

**BPOV**

**Oh how I wish I could be as plastic as Heidi Montag. I'd be so close to being Barbie…**

_Emmett Cullen has commented your status…_

_**Why do you want to be like that media whore? You're right, she's so plastic now, I wonder if the plastic surgeon misplaced her lady parts.**_

I laughed out loud when I read this, and typed away my response.

_Respond to Emmet Cullen's comment…_

_**Hahaha, Emmett, I'm pretty sure they closed that garage down because they didn't have enough skin for her beach ball boobs.**_

I waited for his comment, when I realized that someone else had updated their status.

**Edward Cullen: Some people just don't realize how stunningly beautiful they are, and compare themselves to trash.**

I wanted to know if that was meant for me, if it did I could break out in hives and have to be taken to the hospital. The pure shock that Edward was saying I was "stunningly beautiful" would have given me a heart attack.

Two seconds later, Jasper commented Edward's status. Like always, I read it without the slightest bit of guilt.

_**Why thanks, Eddie **_(Edward hated that nickname, I could hear him fuming in my mind)_** I didn't know you felt that way towards me. I'll be sure not to forget your thoughts on me ;)**_

I laughed to hard, the ice cream icicle I had in my mouth almost came flying out and into my laptop monitor, complete with spit and all. _I loved our relationships with each other._

_Emmett Cullen has commented your status…_

_**Hahahahahahahahahaha I will say something, as much as I love the roundness and firmness of tits, I draw the line when they're that fake. A man needs flesh, not Marvel's discarded action figure material melted into that atrocity.**_

I rolled my eyes, and typed my answer.

_Respond to Emmett Cullen's comment._

_**-rolls eyes- you're so sweet, Emmett. The woman that tames you will be a very lucky woman.**_

"Hell yeah." Alice Cullen said as she looked at herself, satisfied. I looked up from my laptop, Haagen Dasz ice cream pop hanging from my mouth. I was commenting the article Speidi had broken over the weekend in my _Us Weekly _magazine.

_What? I have a lot of time for an at home newspaper writer for _The Seattle Times_._

"Bella, stop looking like a deranged cat lady and tell me what you think." Alice looked at me, hands in hips looking scary for a dainty 5'2" incher.

"You look awesome Alice." I said licking off some of the ice cream from my lips, as I logged out of my Facebook and turned off my laptop. And paying attention to one of my best friends trying on a gold sequin Gucci dress, just then her twin brother walked in. Did I mention that he was gorgeous? Well, he was.

I loved the fact that all six of us lived on the same street. Edward, Jasper and I lived in the same building, while Rosalie, Emmett (no surprise there) and Alice lived in the one next door.

How did that happen, you ask? Well, when I had announced to my friends that I wanted to live in Downtown Seattle instead of one of its suburbs after college, they bombarded me with ideas of their own to move down here too.

Edward was the first one, he claimed he wanted to be closer to the heart of the city, as well as the hospital he was currently doing his residence. And (he made this last bit, a point) giving me the honor of his being my neighbor. And please, don't mention the fact that he was only trying to take advantage of a great real estate offer… To say that I was EXTREMELY happy that he had moved into my building and being directly above me (the irony of that statement was not lost to me, thank you) would be a horrific understatement.

Then, Jasper decided to make the move; his reasons were more realistic (and honest), he wanted to be closer to the bars and clubs of the city. Even though his office (he was a child psychologist), was uptown. Alice felt lonely that her college roommate, and twin brother as well as the love of her life were so close and she was so far that she was the fourth person to move downtown. After fighting with Edward for his apartment, (all of the apartments in our building were taken ((yay! Sorry Alice!)) and after my secret praying for him not to secede) she moved in next door. The buildings were just as comfortable and safe, but of course Alice wanted to be closer to me (codeword for Jasper).

Rose felt totally forgotten, and lonely that her BFFs were so close to each other while she was uptown, so she decided to move next door to Alice. Emmett had the same reasons that Alice had, as well as the ulterior motives but he said that just like Edward and Jasper, he wanted to be close to the bars and clubs (also code words, in his case: Rosalie).

"Hey ladies," Edward said in his extremely sexy voice as he brought me back to the present. Today he was sporting black faded jeans, a vintage Beatles tee and his favorite black chucks. As well as his signature messy mop of delicious copper blonde hair. He made casual look haute couture.

I could already feel my girly parts saying hello…

"Hey Edward, I wasn't expecting you today, what's up?" Alice said, turning around and going to him to hug him hello. We were currently guests of Alice, in her home full of pictorials of models wearing AWESOME clothes, as well as being surrounded by the most fabulous interior designing ever.

_Well, shucks… I guess having a famous interior designer for a mother was a good thing…_

"Sorry to drop in unannounced little sis, but Emmett got us some VIP spots at _Midnight_. I came to ask you if you and the girls, it's going to be a midnight beach party," he looked up at me and sent me his devilish grin.

_Oh god, I think I just came a little…_

"Really?" Alice said, with a hint in her eye and a little tone in her voice. "When is it?"

"Tonight. It's an event for the reopening of the club in downtown, but since it's the beginning of summer, they're doing it at First Beach, by Forks." Edward looked at me, I stared at him and then it hit me why he would point this out.

"Forks? Oh my god! My hometown! Oh my god, Alice! We have to go!" Then I remembered that I had an article due on the following Monday and that I hadn't even started it.

"Something wrong?" Edward looked at me, worried.

"It's just that I have some stuff to do, so I don't know if I'll be able to make it…" I said, looking at my laptop and hating it for a second. Then I remembered the comment Edward had written on his Wall and suddenly went on to daydream about he and I dirty dancing in one of my favorite beaches surrounded by torch lights, bonfires, alcohol and people in very little clothes…

"So you won't be able to come?" Alice asked, looking at me as I had slaughtered a puppy.

"Hmm?" I asked dumbly, I felt my _Us Weekly _fall to the floor, I looked down startled and went to retrieve it. When I did, I could have sworn I heard a small gasp but thought nothing of it. When I sat back up, I looked at Edward, who had a weird look on his face and then back at the awaiting Alice who looked like the cat that ate the canary.

_Did I miss something?_

"Sure Alice, I'll go." I said, unsure of what was wrong with the Cullen twins, but suddenly remembered that I would have a chance to be somewhat alone with Edward…

Edward cleared his throat and looking away, he ran his hand through his untamed locks trying to look normal, Alice on the other hand started to jump up and down like a lunatic from happiness.

"This is going to be so much fun!" She said, walking into her room and prattling about what she wanted to wear tonight.

Edward on the other hand cleared his throat once again, and sat down in Alice's _Ethan Allen _love seat. "_Midnight_, huh?" I said going to him and sitting in Alice's matching lazy boy. The only reason she got a lazy boy, was because Edward, Emmett and Jasper practically lived in her house and to accommodate them she decided to get the "quintessential men's arm chair".

"Do you really want to go?" Edward said, looking strained.

"Yes, why do you ask? You don't want me to go?" I said, feeling slightly hurt.

"No!" He said startled, and putting up his hands and shaking them profusely, "it's just that you're not a club person that's all."

"Oh. I'm not?" I asked, shyly. Edward groaned and looked up at me looking sad, "Why is it that instead of making things better, I'm making them worse?"

I didn't understand what he meant by that but just stared, "I'm sorry Bella. I don't know what's come over me. I meant that you're not one to doll up and go party like my sister and Rose." He looked down as if embarrassed to say the next words, "you're different."

I willed my body not blush at his words, but it didn't really work. He looked up, and suddenly his face broke into pure happiness. "You're blushing!"

"No I'm not!" I said looking away. When I did I could have sworn I saw gold sequins flash away in Alice's room direction.

_Huh?_

"Anyway, I have to go," Edward said looking at his watch, somewhat disappointed.

"Why?" I hated that my voice suddenly dropped and turned sad, I hoped he hadn't noticed that.

"I have to see someone, he's expecting me and I can't let him down." He said, getting up and going to the door.

"A patient" I asked, known Edward was always busy with his medical career. He was following his father's footsteps, who was the Chief of Medicine at the Seattle Medical Center, the most important private hospital in the city.

The Cullens were rich. but not your Paris Hilton rich, or even your Bill Gates rich, they were able-to-feed-a-small-country-for-ten-years-kind of rich.

_Yeah, I know._

"Yeah, a patient." He said, his smile not reaching his eyes, _interesting…_ "anyway, tell Alice that since I'll be tied up, Jasper and Emmett will be over to pick you ladies up around eight to drive down, and Emmett says that he won't wait of for anyone so to please be ready by then. See you tonight. Oh! and, tell her I'll pay for the first round of drinks." He gave me a friendly peck and ran out the door, looking distracted.

"Ed-" I said but didn't finish calling after him because he literally ran down the hall and out of view.

I closed the door and gave out a sigh, _why did he suddenly get so awkward?_

"Hey Bella," Alice said walking in, now wearing her favorite _Carolina Herrera _maxi dress with her red braided thong sandals by the same designer.

"Alice, that maxi dress makes you look shorter than what you are." I said, pointing something that everyone said to her whenever she put on a maxi dress. But of course, she didn't care.

"I know, but big things come in small packages." She winked at me sitting down where Edward had been not five minutes ago and crossed her leg under her rear. "So where's Edward?" She said, taking out her cell.

"He left," I said, trying to play it off that something weird was going on with him, "he said to expect him tonight at _Midnight, _that Emmett and Jasper will be here for us no later than eight and to be ready by then otherwise they'll leave without us" Alice clicked her tongue as if to say, "we'll see about that", I kept going with my list of things to inform her, "and that the first round of drinks was on him."

"That's great!" Alice said, after pressing the number she wanted she held her cell to her ear and waited for a response.

"Tish?…" _Tisha? Oh no. Alice was calling her personal assistant, that only meant one thing… _"Yeah it's me. How are you?… That's great. Hey, I'm going clubbing tonight with my friends and I was wondering if you could bring me the _Victoria's Secret _stash I have in your office."

I got up and waved my hands in her face, telling her not to ask Tisha for anything in my name, but Alice flagged me down and kept talking as if I wasn't there, "uh-huh, that one. Yes, could you bring it to my apartment by…" she looked at the clock, "four o'clock this evening?"

I slumped down in the lazy boy and crossed my arms over my chest, looking like a slighted ten-year old girl. "Ok thanks, love you lots." Alice hung up and looked up at me. Noticing my dejected look, she rolled her eyes and said, "get over it."

The doorbell rang and Alice called out from her seat that the door was open. It was Rosalie, fresh from a day at the spa. "Hey bioches. Emmett called and told me about tonight. You going?" She sat down next to Alice, who looked super happy. At east one of her best friends was interested in tonight.

"Yes! And I already called Tisha, she's bringing over my early birthday presents for you two!"

"What?" Rosalie said, looking surprised.

"I bought some _Victoria's Secret _clothing for the three of us!" Rosalie and I stared at each other and back at Alice, totally lost. "You know how you're the Victoria's Secret spokesmodel?"

That's right. Rosalie, my best friend was the new _Victoria's Secret Angel_. Needless to say, I was totally jealous.

"Yes…" Rosalie said unsure of what she was going to hear.

"Well, because I want you to get more press, I called Emmett who pulled some strings and got us the VIP tickets, and afterwards I called the press to tell them you were going to be there, and since I'm a regular "Paris Hilton", only without the jail-time, pussy photos and douchbaggery of boyfriends-"

"Yes Alice, go on." I pressed. Alice stuck her tongue out at me and went on, "Anyway, since I have the title of "socialite" in Seattle as well as being the youngest Head Designer at _Dior_, they know who I am, and" she looked at me, "because you wrote that award-winning exposé on the abuse from the employees to the retirees in some homes" (yes, I am the recipient of the Association of Women in Communications' _Clarion Award_, :D) as well as one of _People's _"Most Beautiful People" of 2010" -blush- "they're going to be swarming that party like there's no tomorrow." She will never live it down… Personally, I thought they had made a huge mistake in adding me on to such a list, and I even sent them a letter and picture of to make sure that they knew they had the wrong Bella Swan.

It had been me who made a mistake, and after telling me that I was indeed beautiful and that what I had done for those defenseless retirees had made me even more beautiful on the outside because my inside was a pocket full of daisies and candy corn. Ok the last statement was me, but that's basically what their response letter said. -blush even more-.

"Don't forget Edward, who came in at number two in said list right before Julia Roberts who is beaten by no one. And is considered by the West Coast Medical League to be the most prominent doctor of his generation." I looked down, trying not to blush my face off.

"As well as Emmett! Who is also press-worthy. I mean after all, he is the youngest President in the history of your grandparents' investment company" Rose said, trying to sound natural and not at all defensive.

"And Jasper! Who at the age of 20, received two Ph.D.s! One in Child Psychology and the other one in Child Development!" Alice yelled.

We looked at each other and laughed, "well, aren't we a bunch of accomplished know-it-alls…" I said, trying to sound pompous, while taking my hand out and making it look like I was drinking high tea with my pinky out.

"Here, here." Alice said in her best British accent. Rosalie's cellphone went off and we tried to be a little quieter as to give her a little bit of respect so as to hear the other person.

"Hello?" She said into the phone. "Emmett." She whispered putting her hand slightly on the end of the phone, she went back to talking to him, "eight o'clock?" She said looking at Alice's wall clock, "fine, we'll try and be ready no later than eight, but I'm not making any promises!" She waited for his response, "Ok, ttyl." She hung up, _so loving…_

"You heard. Jasper and Emmett want us ready by eight o'clock." Rose said throwing her cell into her LV tote. "Isn't Edward going with us too?"

"Apparently he has stuff to do before, so he's leaving after we do in his own car." I tried to sound annoyed after remembering his sudden departure.

"I see…" Alice said looking at Rose and sending her a quick look. I internally rolled my eyes and plopped back to my seat not caring that my boobs were about to pop out of my low cut, pink blouse.

"Damn, your girls look bigger today." Rose said, blatantly staring at my boobs.

"You wanna taste?" I said, sarcastically.

"Fuck, that would make my day." Emmett's boom was heard entering the flat as the British say. Jasper followed suit, looking just as horny as Emmett.

"Sorry babe," Rosalie looked at me, playing along, "after the boys leave." She sent me a wink.

I groaned trying to sound disappointed, "damn." I turned back to the guys, "leave that way Rose and I could finish our business."

"Not on your life." Jasper said, chuckling, while Alice sent him a dirty look, which he didn't notice. We all knew his game. He did everything under the sun to try and make her jealous. Again, he thought that this had no effect on her, but still he tried out the waters. Unfortunately Alice thought this was his normal self and not a fake personality to try and get her to react, that indeed she didn't react. The two idiots literally pushed each other away.

"Why are you here? We're going to start to change." Alice said, annoyed. _Oh Alice, Jasper won't stop unless you tell him to._

"To personally remind you, that we're not waiting any longer than 8:00 p.m." Emmett said, rather annoyingly.

"We get it. No later than than 8:00 p.m.!"

"Damn, sis, what's gotten into you? Emmett said, trying to walk away from her. Hell hath no fury like a jealous Alice.

She all but growled at him. "Oookayyy… we're leaving!" Emmett said, running away into the safety of anywhere else but Alice's apartment. Jasper sent her a small smile and closed the door behind him.

I was about to say something but Rosalie sent me a warning look. This was no time to challenge Alice, as well as everyone but Jasper and Alice had nonverbally agreed on never mentioning the situation to each other or the affected parties.

I bit the inside of my cheek and went back to my laptop to see what my schedule was like and if I could allow myself a night of partying.

Edward's sudden departure had me hanging. I didn't know if I wanted to go now because of his sudden and cold good bye. Which in turn made me want to go even more to try and forget my almost invisible troubles with him and drink and dance the night away. Maybe I would bet laid tonight, who knew.

Just as I decided this, the doorbell rang and Alice went to open it. There stood Tisha with bags and bags full of VS merchandise. This further solidified my plans, to hell with Edward and his random mood swings. Tonight I was going to forget about him and have a night full of drinking, dancing and possibly a good fucking.

Jesus and all his angels knew I needed it.

* * *

**EPOV**

"Tanya, I told you not to tell him that. As much as I love him, you know I can never take that place." I said, rubbing my temples for the umpteenth time tonight and tried to make her understand.

"But Edward, you're the only father he's even known. I can't tell him otherwise." She said, trying not to talk loudly in case he heard our conversation.

"Look, I talked to Alice who spoke to a mutual friend of ours that has a Ph.D. in child psychology, if you lead him on, telling him that I'm his father, when really I'm just your doctor and old flame from college and nothing more, and he finds out, he'll be crushed."

Tanya started to tear up. _Fuck no…_

"Edward, all I need from you is just a day or two to spend two hours with him. That's all."

I sighed, I was getting nowhere and I needed to be somewhere, "fine." She grinned from ear to ear, "_but _you have to tell him I'm not his father. I'll be his father figure, but not his father. as much as I have grown to love him in the last three weeks, I can't do that to him, or my family."

"Thank you Edward!" She threw herself at me and kissed me. Before I could push her away we heard a small gasp coming from the doorway and when Tanya pulled away, she herself gasped. "Jason!"

"Mommy, does this mean Daddy's staying with us?" He ran up to us, looking heart-crushingly happy. Tanya threw me a look to not say anything, and crouched down to his level, "sweetie, why aren't you in bed?"

"I heard you and Daddy talking and I wanted to know why." I looked away, uncomfortable.

"Um…" Tanya looked up, noticing my awkwardness, she looked back at him smiling, "_Edward_" she emphasized, I smiled at her clear attempt to distinguish my name but also feeling like crap, "and I were just talking about some work stuff. Honey, you have to go to bed though. It's way past your bed time and I don't want you to loose any sleep." Tanya straightened up, trying to regain her authority.

As if on cue, Jason rubbed his eyes trying to fight his sleepiness, "your mom's right, Champ," I said going to him and also crouching down to meet his eye level, "it's bad for you if you don't sleep the hours you have to. You'll get sick and you know that I wouldn't like that." I said, taking him in my arms and carrying him to his room. Tanya stayed in the living room clearly watching us.

After I assured him I would be back in a couple of days to play with him and take him out to see _Toy Story 3_ when it came out, he finally let himself fall asleep. It made me extremely sad to realize how desperate and anxious he was whenever he and I said our goodbyes. I could tell he was terrified of me never coming back, which made me feel absolutely horrible.

I dimmed his Buzz Lightyear and Woody lights, and closed the door quietly. I walked to the living room to find Tanya sitting in one of her sofas with a cup of coffee in her hand and a second one in her coffee table.

"I was hoping you would stay a bit and we could talk…" she sounded hopeful. I didn't like this…

"Sorry Tanya," I looked at her clock that hung adjacent to me, it read _8:30 p.m_. "But I have plans already." She tried to hide her disappointment.

"Oh. Well, I guess we'll leave it for another day than." She said setting her cup down while getting up.

"Well, good night." I said heading for the door while grabbing my coat from the arm rest of the couch she had been sitting in. I wanted to leave because I wanted to see everyone, especially…

"Goodnight." Tanya said, kissing my cheek goodbye. "About earlier…"

"Don't worry about it," I internally winced, I didn't want her to get the wrong idea so I carefully chose my words, "I know you were excited about my decision so I won't think anything of it. It was the spur-of-the-moment-kind of thing." I said, hinting slightly.

"Right…" She said looking down.

"Well, anyway," I said as I opened the door, "see you later."

"When" she said, trying to hold me a couple of more seconds, noticing this she changed her tone, "will you come see him?"

"I'll call you some time during the week." She looked doubtful, "I promise." I said sincerely. I really did care for Jason, and the last thing I wanted was to leave him hanging like his real father. "By the way," I said holding the door, "_where _is his father?" Tanya hadn't really delved into that topic, and even though it was a private matter, I somewhat felt that I had a right to know some of the details.

"He walked out on him and I." She said, looking down while looking somber.

"I see…"

"Well, I think I should turn in…"

"Right. Goodnight." I said walking away.

"Goodnight." She called out to me.

I ran down the hallway and to my silver Volvo and hurried to my apartment so I could change into a fresh set of clothes as well as get into my party mood. Although the guilt of running out on Tanya and leaving a sleepy Jason made me somewhat guilty. But I reminded myself, that I wasn't a father, and that I was a bachelor trying to start my career as a prominent doctor in the medical world.

Alice knew about my situation with Jason, even though she didn't love the idea, she understood and promised me she would keep it a secret until necessary. What she didn't know was that I was in love with her best friend. Athough every day, I had a feeling she figured me out little by little.

I would worry about that later. Right now, I was more worried about not running into a cop as I raced down the freeway on my way to the beach and my friends.

* * *

**A/N: So? Do you feel better about Edward? If you do, tell me, if not, also tell me! Thanks for reading! Next chapter is the party, the alcohol, the sexual tension between all the three main couples and of course a little bit of Tanya. But remember, that the first chapter hasn't happened yet as of this chapter. I did it this way as to have the first chapter be a sort of prologue :D**


	3. Stranger

**A/N: Hope you enjoy this chapter and thanks soooo very much for the love even though I got more alerts than reviews but beggars are not choosers! mumbles to herself, "it would be nice though if they reviewed a little more…"**

**Disclaimer: I do not own **_**Twilight…**_

**P.S. If you want to see what the girls wear, go to my profile and I'll link you up :D**

**P.S.S This turned out to be a longer chapter so I broke it down into two, tonight you'll get chapter three, and no later than Monday, will chapter four be up. But if you review, I'll add you a bit of chapter four! Trust me, it's good! So start reviewing!**

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* * *

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**Saturday, 8:46 p.m.**

**TPOV (Tanya)**

"Jason, I told you this already, honey. Edward isn't Daddy. Daddy is away on a business trip." I said this half-heartedly as I tried to get my little blonde, green eyed angel to finally go to bed after getting up to check if Edward was still here.

I wanted to be a good mom.

I wanted to be a good woman.

I wanted to be a good friend.

But I wanted Edward just the same.

And part of me knew that he didn't want me back, but part of me said that if I used Jason he wouldn't leave me or him hanging.

That part of me wasn't so keen on the "good" part, and I hated myself for it.

"But Mommy, New Daddy wants to be with me, while Old Daddy is on his business trip. I don't like Old Daddy anymore, I want New Daddy!" He said as he ran to his room. I but my lip trying to figure out what to do.

My good side won this round and I walked up to his door and waited for a moment. I could hear him playing with his _Toy Story_ toys. I bit my lip, nervous and knocked.

He didn't say anything at first, and I waited. I knocked again and waited, this time he answered, "come in." I walked in and walked up to him, treading pay path, "sweetie, are you mad at Mommy?" He didn't answer right away but kept playing with Buzz and Woody. "Jay?"

"I'm not mad at you Mommy," I could hear the sadness in his voice. "I just want a daddy that way I could show all my friends that I do have a daddy just like them." I started to tear up, "Mommy, do you think they'll stop telling me that I don't have a daddy if I take Edward?

That was the first time he actually called Edward by his given name, rather than "daddy" or "new daddy".

"Sweetie do you want to go to another school where the kids won't say mean things like that?"

"No, they'll say it no matter where I go. They always say it!" He started to cry, and so did I.

"Baby…" I whispered, as I held him to my body. This made my bad side light up. And my resolve solidified with every tear my son shed.

* * *

**BPOV**

**Saturday, 7:15 p.m...  
**

"Holy crap." I said as I looked at myself in Alice's full length mirror that was in her mod-inspired bedroom.

"What is it? Too big?" Alice said worried, popping her head out of her massive walk in closet that she herself put in unbeknownst to the landlord. When asked what she would do when the time came to giving up the apartment, she just said, "simple. I'll just buy the building before the landlord can find out that I did this."

_Oh yes, I forgot. She's filthy rich._

"No, you mean 'is it too small?" because it is!" I said looking at myself wearing the bikini she had chosen for me. It was a candy pink/coral and white plaid push-up halter top with double string bikini.

_The print is cute though…_

"Bella, you were named one of _People_'s 'Most Beautiful People', I would have guessed that award would have given you a little bit more confidence in your own beauty."

"I still say they made a mistake." I said trying to stretch out such a form-fitting bikini. My boobs looked like they were gonna spill out.

"Leave that alone!" She said coming up to me and swatting my hand away. Her own bikini was a strapless, wrap-around with a low-rise bottom in gold.

_She loved her gold…_

"If you think that's 'bad', look at me." Rose said walking in from the bathroom.

And my confidence and self-esteem just plummeted…

Rosalie walked in looking stunning in a sea-green/contrast halter top that also wrapped around her body, but in a different way than Alice's. Her bottoms were the lowest and skimpiest of the three varieties.

"See?" Alice said, putting her hands in her hips, "I was thinking of each of our styles when I bought them!"

"Either way, this is too much!" I exclaimed while looking back to the mirror and staring at my normal B's looking like D's. "Why are they so big?"

"Because it's a push up as well as patted for 'extra' loveliness," she said, extenuating her own.

"Take some of the 'loveliness' out than, please." I said, looking miserable.

"Bella, I don't want to go 'bitch' on your ass, so wear that or go naked. Your choice." Rosalie went to the bed and put on her strapless, double-layer, cotton dress in clover and turquoise; as well as her strappy, black leather Roman sandals.

"Stand up," Alice said to Rosalie after she finished putting herself together. The latter obliged, twirling around.

"Damn, I'm good." Alice gave herself a pat on the back, I rolled my eyes and get to get my own ensemble.

For my cover-up, Alice had chosen a deep-plunge, cover up tunic in crisp white. It was short, thin, and was so low-cut that I was afraid what my Police Chief of a father might think if I stayed over like I had planned.

I decided to wear it because if I didn't I would be braking the promise I made to Alice when she took everything out and showed it to us. Charlie (my father) would understand that I'm not a little kid anymore…

First Beach was a beach on the reservation that was right next door to my hometown, Forks, Washington. After my parents divorced when I was four, my mom moved us to Arizona where I spent most of my life. I would visit Charlie every now and then, but not long enough to make a lot of fond memories or long-lasting relationships. So practically, I considered Phoenix my hometown, rather than Forks.

I'm pretty sure that Billy Black (Charlie's best friend and Chief of the reservation), had agreed to such a party because he was trying to raise funds for the reservation. Otherwise, he would've never allowed such a crazy thing to happen in his tribe's territory.

"Put on your sandals Bella, I want to see the whole outfit together." Alice said finishing up spiking her pixie-cut hair, which went off in every single angle imaginable and then some.

"Ok, but it doesn't mean, I'm happy with the amount of cleavage and skin I'm showing off." I said sitting in the corner of her four-poster bed, and putting on the chandelier thong sandals she acquired for me.

"You love it inside, your 'nun-having-heart-attack-for-showing-your-ankles' facet of your personality just has to come out every now and then, otherwise you wouldn't be responsible, sensible Bella." Rose said, putting on her the new VS summer perfume. "Wow Alice, you really went all out on the _Victoria's Secret _merchandise."

"As if," the little pixie said, putting on her VS makeup, "we have to make sure corporate notices that you're wearing everything Vicky's, that way they'll keep to longer and maybe give you a pay raise!" Alice was the last to put on her footwear. She chose to go with some criss-cross gladiator sandals with silver studs that reminded me of an 80s glamour rock band of some kind.

"Ok, so here's your perfume." She said to Rose after going into the bags that hadn't been touched. "You get _Divine._" She took out a pretty little fragrance bottle, the contents had a slight pink tone to them. "You," she looked at me, "get _Desire_-"

"Um..." I blushed thinking of the name, "why this one?" Looking at the same bottle as Rose only that mine had a lilac tint to it. Across its chest it said "Dream Angels" and underneath in fancy font the word "Desire" stared at me in the face as if making fun of me.

"'cuz hell knows you need a little bit of desire in your life." Rose said with the best intentions, I sent her a look for her blatant response.

"She's right." Alice said, taking out the last one that had a golden tint to it, "and I get_ Heavenly_. I also got the travel-size so don't forget to stuff them in your bags."

"By the way, how are you guys coming back?" I asked putting on _Desire_. They were right, I did need it. **(I have to admit, that's my favorite fragrance! I'm wearing it right now :D)**.

"You're staying with your dad, huh?" Alice said, stepping into the bathroom, and looked through the multitude of beauty products she had in her drawers.

"Yeah, but what about you?" I asked, finally sitting down. I'd done my beach-inspired make up before putting on my bathing suit, so there was nothing really left to do.

"We're gonna be staying in the hotel in Forks. Along with everyone that's not driving back with a designated driver."

"Billy Black made it a requirement that either you stay in town in said hotel, or you have a designated driver?" I assumed.

"Yeah, the Chief of the tribe. Rose said, applying a generous amount of blush liploss to her bow and archer's lips.

"Yeah, Billy Black. He's my dad's best friend." I clarified, as I looked at myself in the mirror and sighed.

"Well anyway, we're staying in the hotel, because all of us are going to be way too drunk to drive back." Alice said putting something in her enormous bag.

_You guessed it. More _Victoria's Secret _merch._

Alice noticed me looking at her, and winked. "Protection." I rolled my eyes and ignored the comment. "You guys are more than welcome to stay at my house. I mean I'd have to inform Charlie, but we could all bunk in my room." I said, as I checked the contents of my own oversized beach bag. Rose and Alice were doing the same routine I was, we always did when we were about to leave anywhere.

_Cellphone? Check._

_Cellphone charger? Check._

_Wallet with minimal cash, credit card and I.D. card? Check._

_Perfume, black fade aviators and make-up kit? Check._

_Fresh undies and bra provided by OCD elf? Check._

_Fresh change of clothes? Check._

_Told you it was oversized…_

"Ok, you guys set?" Alice said, looking up from her navy blue tote that matched her light green, turquoise and white summer dress, and turning to look at her alarm clock.

"Yup!" I said, hanging my own ivory tote, and Rose also chiming, "yes!" in unison.

Just as we did the alarm went off, "8:00 o'clock on the dot!" Rose said completely satisfied. Alice grabbed a black bag that she had on the side and took it outside with her, I wondered what it was but didn't ask. If I needed to know, I just had to be patient and wait for her to tell us.

After running out to the living room and sat casually on the sofa and lazy boy waiting for the boys. Suddenly we heard the loud and long footfalls of Emmett in the hallway as well as the quieter, lighter footfalls of Jasper. As well as their voices, they were having a conversation on wether or not we were ready or not.

_Ding dong!_

"Why'd you ring the bell?" Emmett was heard trying not to be overheard.

"They might be undressed in the hall!" Jasper answered trying to reason with the big off.

"Duh!" Emmett exclaimed. You could hear a loud _snap!_

"Don't hurt yourself now." Jasper said, clearly laughing at the fact that Emmett smacked himself at Jasper's "indiscretion". "Um… dude… one of them is your sister!" Jasper said, trying not to sound too obvious about the fact.

"Oh yeah…"

"Ugh. Leave it to Emmett." Alice said, getting up and shaking her head in disapproval. Before the reached the door, the doorbell went off. This time you could tell Emmett rung it because it was a longer, more impatient ring. "I'm coming, I'm coming!" Alice exclaimed opening the door in a huff.

Alice opened the door gracefully and let's just say that Jasper face was of total, absolute, incredible, indescribable and complete surprised lust. Alice ignored this not because she was still angry at Jasper's comment about me and Rose's "relationship" earlier in the day, but rather because she didn't want to seem obvious.

Rose and I looked at each other and rolled our eyes trying not to laugh. "What took you so long?" Alice said to Emmett, trying to sound angry for their tardiness.

"We thought we were on time." Emmett said, checking his watch. Jasper still stared at Alice like a reverend in a strip joint.

"Well, are you just going to stand there, or are we leaving? It's an hour's drive in the end!" Alice said going to the lazy boy and fetching her bag, Rose and I grabbed our own bags and walked to the door.

Emmett stared at Rose now that she was standing and made herself present. "Fuuuuck…" He said under his breath. Rose sent me a knowing look, which I sent her back.

Emmett stared at Rose and I, mostly Rose, while Jasper stared at Alice and I, mostly Alice though. Who was totally pleased but tried to not show it. The girls and I walked ahead of them because well, they were totally shocked and couldn't stop staring.

We got into Emmett's Hummer and waited for the guys to get on. Rose decided to sit in the back with us because she didn't want to cause a "distraction" by sitting in the front with Emmett.

"All set?" Rose asked the five of us, after we all settled in and put on our seatbelts.

"All set!" Alice chimed, as Emmett started the car. Alice asked Jasper to put on some music, while Emmett turned on the air conditioning and set the directions on his GPS.

The hot summer air was still around us, and although it wasn't scorching, it still wasn't necessarily the best of weather. We all forgot how hot it was outside from being inside in our AC apartments all day long.

"Oh! Alice," Emmett called Alice's attention as he got on the freeway, "did you pack an extra bag of clothes for Edward?"

_Edward?_ My interest instantly piqued. I turned to Alice who looked at the back of Emmett's head. "Yeah, don't worry. I know how forgetful he is, and he's probably going to come home, change and run out the door without a second's thought to tomorrow."

I looked away and realized that ever since I had decided to forget about him tonight, my mind hadn't wondered to him and was totally shocked that I had achieved that level of success. I didn't know what to feel about that so, I stared out the window, watching as the sun set into horizon while the sun turned from a blood red and brilliant orange, to a light rose and deep purple.

* * *

An hour later, and after a game of _I Spy_, a retelling about our adventures in high school and some childhood horror stories, we arrived at First Beach right after nine o'clock. We parked near the red carpet where paparazzi were setting up for the event. There were more than I thought…

"Don't worry, just imagine it's one of us when were up there." Rose whispered into my ear, noticing my reaction. "Like when we take random pictures for Facebook or one of Alice's scrapbooks."

"Right…" I said, still staring at all of the photo and video cameras. "Was this all Alice's doing?"

"No, the club wanted press too, but I guess Alice just added a little bit more…" Rose answered putting on her green ray-bans that matched her outfit.

"Right…"

"Ok gang!" Alice said to all of us once we were all out, "we're going to go down to Forks and reserve our rooms at the hotel before it's all packed. Bella, do you want us to drive you to your house?"

"Yes, if you don't mind." I said, grinning half-heartedly. The cameras were still very present in my mind. I was not a fan of any kind of attention, let alone paparazzi's, besides the fact that I was a total klutz and had fallen on my own two feet countless of times.

"Ok, let's go to the hotel first and then the Swan residence." Alice said, realizing that we had to get back into the Hummer.

"Fuck," blurted out Emmett, "if we leave now we could loose this prime real estate." He said about the great parking. He had a point. People were already arriving and fast.

Suddenly I heard someone yell my name, I turned around and saw nothing but random vans from the press, and people walking from their cars to the beach since the event didn't start 'till eleven. Some even stopped in their tracks, pointed at me and Rose and grinned recognizing us from the magazines.

I ignored them and turned back to my friends and asked, "did someone call my name?"

"I heard it too." Jasper said looking over my head since he was taller than me.

"Bella!" I turned around to find a massive (but not as big as Emmett) tanned guy running my way in board shorts, plain white tee and some guy sandals.

I squinted my eyes and tried to see his face, "you know him?" Jasper said protectively coming closer as well as Emmett who was behind him. Ever since my sudden celebrity, I had received mail from weird, lonely men wanting a signed autograph or a date with me. To say that the guys were prepared to knock anyone out that was too friendly with me without my wanting to, was an understatement.

"I…" Suddenly it came to me. Flashes of my childhood visits to Charlie in the summer flooded my mind and I soon realized that it was Jacob Black, Billy's youngest son coming at me like a bull. "Jacob!" I screeched as my childhood friend reached me. I felt Emmett and Jasper stare at me, shocked at my excited outburst.

"I knew you'd remember me!" He said, hugging me and twirling me around.

"Oh my god, Jacob you're huge!" I said once he put me down. The Jacob I remembered was a short little shrimp who could barely move a motorcycle, the one that was standing in front of me looked like he can move a human-sized boulder.

"I wonder…" Rosalie whispered suggestively on the side.

"Rose!" Alice shushed her, I heard their giggles right after her "reprimand". I ignored them and kept staring at Jacob. "Yeah, I kinda grew into my own skin when I turned 16..." he said shyly while rubbing the back of his neck.

"But damn, you most definitely grew into your own skin!" He said looking at me up and down. I started to blush all over and looked away, trying to hide my embarrassment.

"Hey maybe we could have a drink at the party tonight." He offered, I looked at him trying to remember how old he was…

"How old are you again?"

"Bella! Did you forget? I'm only two years younger than you!" He said laughing.

"I'm sorry Jacob," I blushed looking down somewhat ashamed of myself.

"It's ok, you haven't been to Forks in what-"

"Eleven years." I answered for him. He whistled, surprised at the number.

"Wow, eleven years…"

"Ehm-hemph." Alice loudly cleared her throat, it was time for introductions.

"Oh yeah, sorry." I said turning to my friends, "guys this is Jacob, Billy Black's youngest son." Jacob went for Jasper's hand who like a true Southern gentlemen extended it first, "he and I are old childhood friends. This is Jasper."

"Hello," Jacob smiled at Jasper who in turn greeted him, "how do you do?"

"How you doin'?" Emmett said, puffing himself up like rooster. He wanted to see just how big Jacob was, "Well, thanks." Jacob said turning to Alice who also shook his hand with a sudden familiarity. "That's Alice, Emmett's little sister and finally but certainly not least, Rosalie."

"Hello." She said icily from behind her ray-bans. Jacob noticed and also became slightly cold, "Hi." Rose wasn't good with change.

"Well, where are you headed to? Going to see your old man or are you going to the party?" He turned to me, clapping together his massive hands.

"I'm going to see Charlie, but first my friends need to go down to the Red Lion to reserve some rooms for the night. Only that if we move the Hummer we'll lose the parking." I said looking at the massive truck fit for its owner.

"That can be solved! I'll take you myself into town!" Jacob said brightly.

"Seriously, man?" Emmett asked, relieved.

"Yeah we just have to squeeze together because my wheels are a little smaller." Jacob said eyeing the truck.

"What kind of wheels do you have?" Jasper asked, curious.

"A Rabbit." Emmett and Jasper winced, Rosalie gave out a horrified gasp. Alice and I didn't react because unlike our friends, we didn't really speak car. Rosalie might be the fairest of them all, but she was a guy inside her modelesque, delicate, high-society, pretty face would ever look like.

"You're joking." She said incredulously. Jacob raised an eyebrow at him.

"No, actually I'm not. Rebuilt it myself." He said proudly, Jacob always had a knack for mechanics.

"Is that a vibrator car?" Alice whispered to Rosalie who looked at her like she grew two heads. "Because if it is, I don't want to cum in front of a stranger, my older brother and my… guy friend…" I didn't know if to laugh my ass off or be completely appalled by her comments but I didn't say anything. I just stared at my friends and hoped that the ground would swallow me whole.

"Shut up Alice." Emmett said, shivering a little, but not from the ocean breeze. "It doesn't matter what kind of car, as long as we get to where we're going."

"I have an idea…" Jasper said, for some "weird" reason there was a twinge of red in his fair white skin.

"What is it?" Rosalie demanded, I could tell she wanted out of whatever kind of car Jacob had.

"Why doesn't Alice, Bella and I go to the hotel and Bella's home?" He solely looked at Rosalie for approval, immediately her features broke into a smile, "that way, there's more room in Jacob's car, we get to reserve the rooms at the hotel and Bella gets to go see her dad."

"And that way some of us can wait for Edward who most likely is on his way." Emmett commented looking at the entrance to the parking lot where all the cars were coming in.

_Oh yeah… Edward…_

"Who's Edward?" Jacob asked me, curious.

"My twin brother," Alice chimed in for me, "he's running a little late that's why he didn't come with us."

"Oh, I see." Jacob sent her a small smile and turned back to me, "well, ready to go see your dad?"

"Yeah, ready." I said holding my tote closer to me as a way to show that I was ready. Then I remembered something, "Alice, aren't you girls staying with me tonight?"

"Huh?" Emmett asked dumbly looking at Rosalie. He probably thought he might get a little something with today's festivities.

"Oh yeah, I totally forgot!"

"What do you mean?" Jasper asked her, trying not to sound somewhat shocked.

"That way we don't spend so much money!" Alice said, clearly lying. The financial aspect was never a problem, obviously the guys wouldn't swallow that story.

"Right… and I hate alcohol." Emmett said, trying to figure out Alice's angle.

"Oh come on, big brother!" Alice only called him "big brother" when she was trying to get Emmett to go her way.

"Alice and I just want to spend the night in Bella's childhood home." Rose said in a very firm tone while looking at Emmett straight in the eye. Very rarely did Emmett fight her when she did this.

"Um… Rose… technically Pho-" She knew my story but she also knew that if I corrected her, I would discredit her in front of Emmett and Jasper.

"But Rosalie-"

"Why do you guys want us in the hotel rooms so badly?" Rose said looking both at Emmett and Jasper, who looked away starting to blush slightly. A sight that never really happened.

"It's just that Alice's reasons made no sense." Jasper interjected for Emmett who was currently picking his face from the parking lot floor.

"Either way, us girls are going to stay over at Bella's house and that's it. You guys will be perfectly safe and sound in the hotel." Rose said, finalizing the situation.

"Fine…" Emmett said, totally dejected. I grinned at both men in front of me. They wanted to have the girls very close to home that way in case the girls felt a little horny they would tip toe down to their rooms. Little did they know that something like that wasn't going to happen any time soon. Alice and Rose were very composed when it came to stuff like that, even if they were just as hot for the guys as the guys were for them.

"Ok now that that's settled, I think we should hurry and go because, it's already about 9:45 p.m. and the people are already arriving in drones." Jacob pointed out, all of the people that had multiplied last time we checked. Now the sun was totally gone, and the sky was a dark blue, and unlike in Seattle, here you could make out what felt like every single star in the universe. "Which means that we really have to hurry." Jacob finished as I took in the brilliant night sky. This part, I realized, I had missed.

"Right." I said going to stand behind him as to show my friends I was ready to go, Alice bounced up to me as well as Jasper walked over to Jacob's other side signaling Emmett to come closer to Rosalie.

"We'll be back in a little bit." We're just going to go to the hotel super fast, reserve three rooms in your names and then run to Bella's home, say hello to Chief Swan and then run back." Alice informed Rose and Emmett who (unsurprisingly), seemed rather happy that they'd be staying behind.

"Ok, and don't forget, Edward's due any minute now, you'd better hurry." Emmett said, putting his hands in his pockets.

I swallowed as if trying to take in something hard to digest, and turned to Jacob, "ok Jacob, where's your car?"

* * *

**EPOV**

**Saturday, 9:46 p.m.  
**

As I entered the parking lot of the beach the reopening was supposed to happen in, I noticed how many people had beaten me to the punch.

"Fuck, it's going to be a bitch trying to find a good place, let alone the Hummer." I whispered to myself trying to spot a space while also looking for Emmett's signature vehicle.

I finally found it a couple hundred feet from me, and noticed that all of them were standing next to the Hummer. I recognized all of their silhouettes except one, who happened to be standing next to a very hot looking Bella.

_Hmm… I don't like this…_

The very toned stranger, Bella, Jasper and Alice walked away from where Emmett and Rose were left standing. I drove closer to realize that Emmett had parked very strategically. His Hummer blocked the last space in the corner next to his truck.

_Oh how I love you so much big brother_, I sighed. Relieved at the brilliance of my brother, who loved to play dumb as well as the fact that maybe I could catch up to Bella and the others. I honked to the two left standing and when realizing it was me, both waved saying "hello". I waved back, as I looked at the parking space to make sure I parked safely and legally.

_Maybe… he's trying to hit on her and she's interested… _My mind went to the stranger and Bella. I hoped out of my Volvo and locked it, as I walked around it to stand in front of my older brother and his love interest.

"Hey, Edward, glad you're here." Rosalie said, grinning, she could tell I was preoccupied.

"Hey Rose." I said, trying not to sound rushed. "Where's everyone?"

"They left with Bella's childhood friend, Jacob, to reserve the hotel rooms and drop by Bella's dad's place." Emmett explained, _childhood friend?_

"Yeah, since Emmett didn't want to lose his parking space and apparently yours," she added grinning some more, "and I didn't want to get in his car," she made a face, "they went off without us."

"But they'll be back soon." Emmett said, looking around and noticing that people would stop and openly stare at Rosalie, clearly recognizing that she was a _Victoria's Secret _Angel.

"I wish they would stop doing that." Emmett said under his teeth as a bunch of fraternity guys leered at an unaffected Rose.

"I don't think you're their type." She said, grinning once again. She loved the attention, as long as they didn't cross the line. Any attention was good attention for Rosalie Hale.

"How can you stand it?" Emmett turned to her, somewhat angry. Rose took out her concealer and started to apply some. How do I know it's concealer? I have Alice as a sister, a _twin _sister no less.

"Easy. I know how to take care of myself and draw the boundaries," I felt she was talking about him more than the drunken, perverts that were still ogling her. "And if that doesn't work, I know you'll be around to kick their asses." She sent him a cheeky look and snapped her concealer close and put it back into her bag.

Emmett grinned like a goofball, and stood a little straighter after her comment. Then he turned around and sent a terrifying look to the drunks who immediately stopped their ogling and walked away, almost running.

"Told you…" Rosalie said, in a sing-song voice, Emmett practically grew in size with pride.

I was trying to look like I was somewhat part of their conversation, but my mind kept going back to Bella and that Jacob guy.

_Was there more to that than just a childhood friendship? _

"So what held you up in Seattle, little bro?" Emmett asked, trying to add me to the conversation.

"Nothing really," I didn't want to talk about it, as well as not think about the situation I was in. I would worry about that later, with all the respect that Jason and Tanya deserved, I had more important things to think about.

"You sure?" Emmett asked trying to read my face. I rolled my eyes, annoyed and answered back, "yes. Positive."

"Touchy, touchy." Rosalie said, looking at me up and down with dissaproval.

"Whatever." I said like a five year old child.

"Wow…" Someone said, I turned and noticed that I was getting unwanted attention also. I gave the girls that were openly staring a grin and turned back to a teasing Emmett.

"Ugh…" I said before he started to bombard me.

"You're also getting attention, Eddie-"

"Don't call me that." I growled under my breath. One of my biggest peeves was that stupid nickname.

"Why so bitchy today, Edward?" Rosalie asked, putting her hands in her hips, watching me.

"I'm not bitchy today Rosalie, I just want" a lot of alcohol, "to have fun tonight and drink." I said, settling on finding some alcohol. The thought of finding the drunken perverts crossed my mind.

"You'll have enough of that in a bit. I'm sure the guys I'll be here soon." Emmett said glancing at his watch.

"So what's the deal with that Jacob guy? Is he going to be with us tonight?" Rosalie's stupid grin made a comeback, I ignored her and stared at Emmett.

"I don't think so, but he did ask Bella if she wanted to have a drink with her in the course of the party." Emmett said, looking far off as if remembering something. I bit my lip and looked away angrily.

"Well, the first drinks are on me." I said as if calling dibs on Bella. My primal side was coming out, and I didn't know if I liked the idea. "Know what? The first _four_ rounds are on me."

"Damn, Edward. You're ready for tonight huh?" Rosalie joked, but at the same time trying to decipher my statement. She was digging for gold…she was certainly my sister's friend.

"Know what? I think I'm going to start." I said as I spotted the fraternity guys setting up camp not too far off from where we were, probably to openly stare at Rosalie again.

As I approached them they tensed up, possibly believing that I was there to defend Rose or something. "Hey." I said, trying to show them I was there in peace.

"'sup." Their leader said to me, defensive.

"You got any beer you could spare?" I said, looking towards their ice cooler.

"Maybe. Depends who's askin'" He looked over my shoulder, possibly at Rose.

"Could Ben Franklin have a little conference with you?" I said taking out a $100

_Fuck, that's how desperate I was for a beer._

"Maybe, but we'll need collateral." He said, still defensive, his fraternity brothers huddled around him to try and show me not to make a wrong move or say the wrong thing. I wasn't there for that. I was there for alcohol.

"What exactly do you mean?"

"That hot babe that's standing next to Chewbacca."

"Sorry, she's taken." I said, feeling defensive now.

_Hey, they were calling my big brother Chewbacca as well as trying to buy Rosalie for a stupid beer._

"$100. Take it or leave it." I said, clearly showing them I wasn't open for negotiations.

He looked at me, sizing me up while I stared him down. He clicked his tongue and signaled to one of his croons for a beer. He handed it to me while I handed him the bill.

"Thanks." I said as coldly as the beer.

"Don't mention it." I felt he meant more than one thing. I carefully and slowly walked back to where Emmett and Rose were standing and chugged my very expensive liquor store purchase.

"What the fuck was that?" Emmett asked, angrily.

"I was thirsty. I needed a beer and here it is." I said simply. I didn't want to talk right now. I was too preoccupied with the Jacob situation.

Rosalie got tired of standing and decided to go to the beach and play around with the waves as the others go there, Emmett more than obliged and off they went, more than happy to leave me there fuming.

I finished my beer and discarded the bottle. I wasn't even close to being buzzed, _I guess my college years taught me to be more tolerant of alcohol._

Finally, after what seemed hours, they arrived laughing and giggling. Alice was the first to notice me by my Volvo. "Edward!" She ran to me and gave me a huge hug and peck on the cheek.

"Hey Ali." I said, touched by her warm hello, but sounding detached.

"What's wrong?" She said, putting her hands in my face, scanning my face trying to read further into my quiet hello.

"Nothing really." I said for the second time that night, she looked at me straight in the eyes and hugged me, hiding the fact that she was whispering in my ear. "Is it him?"

"No. Something else." I whispered back. I looked up from her hug to find Bella's worried face, and the Jacob guy looking confused and lost.

_Stupid fucker…_

"Wanna talk about it later?" Alice pulled away to look at me in the face again.

"Maybe." I said, trying to appease her, I knew that she wasn't ready to know that I was in love with one of her best friends.

"Yes, we will talk about it." She said, trying to make me see she wasn't going to drop it.

I laughed, "we'll see." I wrapped my arm around her shoulders and held her close to me, I really did love this ball of sunshine and psycho clouds. I put on my best face and looked at Jacob, "hello, I'm Edward Cullen."

"Hello, I'm Jacob Black." He sized me up, while going back and looking at the still-worried Bella.

"Edward you ok?" She asked coming closer, I grinned trying not to ruin the night with my stupid mood swings. The paparazzi had started to do their job, Alice and Bella gasped, realizing it was time to show off to the world. I looked at her and grinned as she turned back to me, waiting for my answer.

"Yeah, completely fine. Now let's go and find Rose and Emmett and have ourselves an fanfuckingtastic night!"

* * *

**A/N: Like I said at the beginning of the chapter, I wasn't expecting this update to be so long so I literally had to chop it up into two. If you thought this was a long chapter, I'm sorry that's just how it came out but I hope you did like the events. Up next: the actual party! And soon afterward, the actual lift off the story.**

**To those who review: expect a short preview to chapter four ;) thanks for taking the time to read and possibly review!**

**Now I need to sleep, it's 12:25 a.m. L.A. time as I write this, and I'm beat. I took all day to write and edit this update as well as some other stuff I have on the side :D 'til next time!**


	4. Animalistic

**A/N: Like I said in the last chapter, this is the second part of what was supposed to be one update. Hope you like it!**

**

* * *

**

**BPOV**

**Early Sunday morning, 2:09 a.m.  
**

_If there's anything I love, it's the feeling of alcohol in my veins and loud music pulsing through my body and the taste of Edward on my lips._

_Yum…_

_

* * *

_

**Saturday night, 10:56 p.m.…**

"Hurry up Rose!" Alice said impatiently at Rose who was rushing to put on her sandals. She and Emmett had decided to dip their feet into the water seconds before the rest of us got to them and told them that it was time to start the party.

"Sorry, but I couldn't help it!" She whined as she strapped the second sandal on, Emmett grinned like a dumbass and said nothing. "Let's go!" Rosalie said getting up and dusting herself off.

"Are you fucking crazy?" Alice exclaimed, loosing it. Rosalie stared at her like someone had slapped and spit in her face for good measure. "We all have to prep up for such an important moment!" Alice said furiously going through her bag looking for her make up.

"Don't I look good?" Rosalie said looking at Emmett who leaped on that train without a second thought.

"Fuck yeah!" He said, fist pumping the air, I totally rolled my eyes at this and decided to open my own bag and check that everything was were it was supposed to be.

"You don't need make up," I heard a low, husky voice whisper in my ear, I bit my lip willing myself not to turn around and ignore the voice, "you look perfect just the way you are right now." I knew Edward would never actually say that to me unless he meant it as a brother to sister kind of thing, so I kept on applying some make up.

Edward had moved on to stand by the waves, staring at the vast, now-black ocean. I wanted to run to him and hug him from behind but something told me that it wasn't a good time, besides the fact that I had told myself I wouldn't be sucked into his vacuum tonight.

Too many years and sighs had been wasted waiting for him, and even though I yearned for him, I wasn't sure if it was love or lust. I turned back to my friends, who were now ready to go meet the press. "Edward!" Alice called her twin brother, "let's go!" She turned around and bounced to where the paparazzi were and the people were posing and showing off the camera.

"Coming." He said coming up to the dry sand where everyone was standing and went off to get rid of the extra sand in the outside showers by the bathrooms. We followed and after getting cleaned up again, we decided it was indeed time to walk the red carpet.

It wasn't the Academy Awards, or the Emmys but at least it was something. The good thing was that this red carpet was thirty or forty feet long so I knew I wasn't going to stand there for a whole lot of time.

Rosalie ran up to me and reassured me what she had said when we first arrived to First Beach and I promised her I would remember. Alice, (of course) was the first one to make an entrance and the paparazzi went off, not necessarily because she was Angelina Jolie, but because little Alice was gorgeous. "Ms. Cullen, turn this way!", "look over here!", "who are you wearing?"

Jasper trailed her, he waved and grinned at the cameras with his easy going attitude. Alice on the other hand, was pulling out all the stops, she knew how to work her body, the red carpet and the paparazzi.

"My turn." Rosalie said putting on her model face and made sure that the VS logo in her tote was slightly obvious that way, corporate could grin when the pictures were shown in the media world. "Rosalie turn this way!" The camera men yelled trying to get the perfect shot of the new _Victoria's Secret _Angel. "Who are you wearing?" A chubby, female reporter asked her as she threw the microphone in Rosalie's face. Rosalie went up to her and brightly said, "_Victoria's Secret_ of course!" With that, she went on the carpet, surpassing Alice who was being interviewed by a fashion magazine reporter.

Emmett sent me a little salute to say that he was going, I stared at him go and wave just like Jasper had done, who now was also being interviewed by a very hot looking reporter.

I bit my lip realizing that if I didn't step in now, I would never do it. "Ready?" Edward said, putting his hand in my lower back while whispering in my ear. I ignored the butterflies and electric shocks I was getting from his touch and whisper. "No." I said, biting my lip even harder.

"Bella, there's nothing to it. Smile, wave, say 'hello' and that's it." He said, trying to make me feel better. Against my better judgment, he was achieving his goal. "Ok," I said prepping myself up for disaster, "I'm going." I took a step forward and immediately felt the light bulbs go off, I smiled and put my hand on my hip as I posed for the first time in a long time.

"Bella!" They yelled, "Bella, over here, Bella, over here!" I posed a little, walked up a couple of feet, and posed again. Everything was a blur. I couldn't make out any of the people that were taking photos of me, nor did I recognize any of the people that were ahead of me or behind me. To me they all looked the same. Half way, I felt someone pull me to them, only to realize that it was Rosalie who had her arm around Alice. "Let's pose together!" She said, wrapping her arm around my waist. I smiled genuinly and looked at the cameras feeling more relaxed. The cameras went off when the paparazzi realized the three of us were together. Rose and Alice told me they had to give some more interviews when a male reported caught my eye. I walked over to him as he put a tape recorder dear my face.

"Robert Lane, _Los Angeles Times._ How are you, Ms. Swan?" I smiled, and took in his very handsome face and baby blues.

"Very well thank you." He took the tape recorder closer to himself to ask the question, "tell me, what brings you here?"

"Well, besides the fact that I love _Midnight_, this is my neck of the woods."

"Really?" He was surprised at my answer, "yes, really. I used to come to this beach every now and then when I was younger. Of course I don't do it as often but I'm so happy I'm here."

"I hate to ask this question, but my female readers probably want to know. Who are you wearing?"

"In honor of my best friend, Rosalie Hale, I'm wearing all _Victoria's Secret_ tonight."

"You're best friends with the new _Angel_?" He sounded somewhat surprised.

"Yes, we actually met a couple years ago, in college." I said, giving him a little background story.

"And I assume you're friends with Alice Cullen?"

"Most definitely. Didn't you see us posing together just now?" I laughed, he grinned even more.

"Tell me, as a fellow journalist, what's up your sleeve? Any more ground-breaking exposés?" I grinned at him, and he returned the same cheeky grin.

"As a fellow journalist you know that one cannot tell another colleague what they have up their sleeves until it's published." I winked and noticed that Edward was next to me giving his own interview to none other than _People Magazine_.

I turned back to Robert Lane who noticed what I had noticed and wrapped things up, "well we'll just have to wait and see than. Thanks for stopping."

"My pleasure." I sent him another grin as he turned off his tape recorder. "Thanks, Ms. Swan." He said, this time dropping his journalist tone and sounding more relaxed but also much more flirtatious. "Call me Bella, and you're welcome. Always there to help out a colleague."

"You still work for the _Seattle Times_?" He asked, trying to have a somewhat-private conversation with me around all the craziness.

"Yes, actually. Still there and very happy."

"I'm going to Portland for a story, but afterwards I'm free. Maybe I'll come back to your neck of the woods and have a cup of coffee maybe?"

_Ooohhh I was liking this…_

I tried not to sound too excited so I just grinned and answered with a simple, "sure, I'd love that." With that I went back to middle of the carpet and with a very satisfied feeling, started posing for the cameras. Suddenly I felt another hand drag me to them, only to realize this time it was Edward.

"Smile, _People_ wants their "Most Beautiful People" attendees to have a photo op together." He said looking towards the direction where he had been not so long ago. I molded into his body subconsciously and put my hands on his shoulders, while he wrapped his around my waist.

Suddenly the light bulbs went off in a frenzy, and I vaguely thought that maybe a more famous person had arrived and was standing near us. "Whooo!" Some paparazzi cheered, "give her a kiss!" I heard someone yell, I wanted to see who they were talking to when all of a sudden I felt Edward's lips on my cheek. I tried not to look surprised or pull away because then the paparazzi would have a field day, so I just smiled and tried to look like it was a normal thing for Edward to give me a peck in the cheek.

After a moment, he let me go, but kept his hand in my lower back as he led me through the rest of the carpet. I didn't oppose because, as much as I didn't want to be sucked into his vacuum anymore, he still made my body and heart sing. We would stop every so often and pose for the press, but we finally reached the end of the carpet only to have to answer more questions.

"What the hell was that?" Emmett asked, staring at us as we stepped off the carpet and on to the actual bonfire party. Just like I had predicted, there were torches, white cabanas, various bonfires, and a whole lot of twinkling fairy lights all over the stretch of the beach. You could make out people that were already dancing and drinking not so far off from where we were.

"_People _wanted a photo op, you guys forget that we kinda have a contract with the magazine. When people see those photos they're gonna flock to buy our issue." Edward said, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"That's why you gave her a peck in the cheek?" Jasper grinned, standing behind a weird-looking Alice.

"Hey, I was only giving them what they wanted." Everyone laughed but I just stared at the white sand that was underneath my sandals. "Ugh," I said pulling away from Edward and finding the perfect topic-changer, "I don't want to get sand in my shoes."

"Oh my god, you're right!" Alice said grabbing Jasper's arm and bending down to take off her sandals. Once she did she stuffed them in her tote. Soon afterwards, Alice, Rose and myself were barefooted but Rose clicked her tongue."

"What is it?" Alice asked, looking down at herself.

"Why wear a bikini if you're not going to show it off?" She had a point, although immediately I saw the guys' faces drop to the floor with images possibly flooding their pervy minds.

"Holy shit, you're right!' Alice said taking off her cover up. Let me say something, if Jasper was totally shocked when Alice opened her apartment door earlier that evening, he was totally flabbergasted when Alice pulled off her thin cover up dress to show off her bikini.

"Aren't you guys going to do the same?" Alice asked us putting her cover up in the tote like she had done with the sandals. How she managed to fit so much crap in there, was a mystery to all of us. Rose laughed a bit, noticed the attention Jasper was giving a blasé Alice, so she decided to do the same with Emmett.

She practically ripped off her turquoise/clover dress to reveal her skimpy sea green ensemble. I could have sworn I heard Emmett groan in some kind of pain…

"Bella, aren't you going to take yours off?" Rose asked, a glint in her eye.

"I don't know…" I said, remembering how huge my boobs looked in that bikini.

"Oh come on, don't be the sore thumb." Alice egged me on, clearly having an ulterior motive to her desire to see me in a bikini.

Actually, the guys were the ones with the desire to see me in a bikini, and not necessarily Alice by the way they looked right then….

"Ok." I said taking off my cover up, only to hear gasps and moans from the guys.

"Fuck, Bella. If I wasn't interested in someone else, I would totally want you." Emmett said without thinking. Rosalie huffed and walked off towards the party, head sticking out.

After putting my dress away I ran to Rosalie, while Alice told the guys to hurry up and have some fun. I didn't look at Edward's reaction in case I lost my resolve to forget him, so I acted as if he wasn't even there. We ran off to one of the many open bars, noticing that not only were the Cullen siblings and Jasper watching us, but also most of the male population in the bonfire party.

"Wait you guys!" Emmett said behind us, I wasn't going to wait for anyone. I wanted to have some fun, and possibly forget everything in a blur of music, alcohol and general craziness.

The good thing, as I later found out, but that we forgot to mention to Edward, Rosalie and Emmett, was that Charlie was gone on a week-long fishing vacation upstate, with one of his other friends, Harry Clearwater and none other than Billy Black who had left everything to the tribe elders.

When I asked Jacob why he hadn't told us before, he confessed that he wanted to spend a little more time with me, to which Jasper and Alice both annoyingly answered back but I embarrassingly kept quiet. When Jacob brought us back, we decided to cancel the reservations so we called the hotel using the business card Jasper had taken from the main desk. We would all stay over at Charlie's, I just hoped he wouldn't mind when I told him about my impromptu plans.

The girls and I reached the bar and ordered pineapple juice with whiskey for Rosalie, a Cosmo for Alice and a Sex on the Beach for me. Alice and Rosalie made fun of my chose because of the fact that we were on the beach. I just grinned and sipped my drink, hoping the alcohol would kick in soon.

The guys reached us but they also had opted to take off some clothing too. They had taken off their shirts and were now only wearing their different colored board shorts, and donning their very sculpted chests. I allowed myself a peek at Edward's hot fucking body. Who in turn was sending me little looks as he ordered his own drink. Straight whiskey on the rocks.

_Mmm… so manly…._

"Don't forget you guys," Rose said over the loud party music that was starting to get louder, "the first four rounds are on Edward!"

"Fuck yeah!" Emmett said, booming while drinking his second tequila shot. I finished my drink and asked for a piña colada with an extra two shots of tequila.

"Damn, Bella, you're not gonna stop tonight huh?" Edward said, coming over to me as everyone else decided if to have a round of shots or go to the dance floor and go crazy.

"You know it. Tonight, I'm going to let my hair down and not care about anything but my unlimited alcohol consumption." I said, taking another sip of my drink, I was starting to feel the alcohol because unlike my friends, my tolerance for alcohol was very small.

After what was considered to be Edward's last round, I offered the next four in my alcohol induced mirth. I drank another PC, than ordered two triple shots of tequila, a straight whiskey like Edward and downed them like it was water.

I started to slur my words but I didn't care, I was having the time of my life. Alice dragged me to the floor to the beat of a very sexually explicit rap song in which she, Rose and I started to grind against each other. A bunch of guys surrounded us and as soon as they got rowdy, Emmett, Jasper and Edward pulled us away to a cabana they had rented for the night.

The girls and I laughed out loud as our assess hit the soft ivory cushions as the guys closed the cabana with its off-white cloth. "Why the fuck did you do that?" Rose exclaimed, trying to stand up but slumping down when Alice tried to use her as a balance beam.

"You…you guys…" Emmett slurred, "are fucking wasted."

"Look-look who's talkin'!" Alice piped up, standing up and putting her hands in her hips only to fall back laughing even harder.

"I-I-I-" Edward stuttered trying to say something, but Rose interrupted him, "I spy with my little eye, a very hot guy!" She said biting her lip and looking at Emmett who grinned goofily.

"Shhh!" Edward said to Rose, annoyed that she interrupted him, "I think we should go."

"Fuck that!" I said getting up in the cushion and looking down at him, "I'm staying to dance and drink some more!" I could hear the music blaring from the outside and started to dance to music. Alice and Rose cheered and followed suit. The guys stared at us with hooded eyes, clearly forgetting what we had been talking about two seconds before.

"Ok, ok. We'll stay," Jasper said shaking his head vaguely, "but let's go outside and dance."

"Ok!" Alice said throwing herself at him, as he caught her he grinned and walked her out. "I want another drink!" Rose said doing the same with Emmett, he more than happily obliged.

"You don't want-you don't want to go?" Edward asked as I still stood on the cushions, "no, I want to stay here." I said bending down and realizing that his lips looked so red and delicious I wanted to taste them.

"You want to stay here?" He asked, his eyes turning into a very dark shade of green, instead of his bright viridian.

"Yeah, I want to stay here…" I said feeling how my sex started to get wet, "don't you want to stay here?"

"Yeah, I want to stay here…" He whispered looking at my lips and licking his own. I bit my lips and threw myself at him, not being able to take any more. His fast reflexes took me in as I wrapped my legs around his waist and my arms around his neck. His lips met mine and in a fury we were fighting for dominance. As he and I kissed he twirled me around and he took my place sitting in the cushions while he balanced me in his lap.

Our lips molded and crashed as we kissed passionately, teeth and tongues all in the mix. My hands flew to his hair which I ran my hands through and moaned when I realized that his hair was just as soft as I had imagined.

"So fucking hot..." he whispered, taking my lower lip in between his teeth and biting slightly. I groaned in response and started to feel his growing erection near my center.

"You think so?" I asked between pants and wet kisses, he growled and moaned in response to my question. "Ugh…" I managed to let out as he moved to my neck and his hands rubbed up and down my sides eventually ending in my ass. He squeezed and hummed murmuring something about firmness and impatience to have me from behind.

In my alcohol blur I grinned and asked, "you wanna fuck me, Edward?"

"Fuck yeah baby…" he said grinding his rock-hard erection against my very wet, bikini clad center.

I grinned and took his lips again, once again kissing him with an animalistic fervor. This time we started to bounce up and down as if we were indeed fucking cowgirl style. I moaned and groaned to his hisses and "fucks" that came out of his hot mouth.

As we found a rhythm to our humping, I ventured on to his neck leaving wet, open kisses and taking his Adam's apple between my teeth, earning me a "fuck, yeah…" from Edward. I realized that Edward loved playing "vampire and victim" as much as I loved it.

I grinned mischievously… _interesting…._

Then a better idea popped into my head… "Ok, I want to go dance now." I said getting up suddenly and running out leaving Edward looking like a fish out of water. I knew I would pay for that dirty play but I needed to get away from him eventually, otherwise he and I would possibly end up doing something we would both love but eventually regret. Besides the fact that if I was going to fuck Edward Cullen, I didn't want to be piss drunk.

* * *

**EPOV**

_What the fuck was that?_ I thought to myself as I realized that Bella had run out on me, leaving me with the biggest hard on any man could ever get from such a hot specimen. I groaned as my mind tried to find different ways to get back at her for leaving me high and dry.

_Hmmm…._ I thought trying hard to really think aside from the massive amounts of alcohol I had consumed in the last two hours. I needed to get back at her for her sudden departure so I decided to play it cool for now and let her sweat. I knew that eventually would get back at her-

"Have you seen Bella?" Someone rushed into the cabana, interrupting my thoughts of revenge only to realize that it had been that Jacob guy. Immediately I tensed up and thought of different ways to answer back, all ranging from "fuck off, she's mine" to "she ran out after an intense make out session with me". But even through all of the hotness that was Bella's body and the alcohol, my logic beat out my jealousy.

"No," I said simply, "why do you ask?"

"Because," I could tell his own gears where working furiously, "she promised me a drink." He said, a "take that" grin on his face. I sent him a knowing smile and got up slowly. "Really?" I was happy that he considered me a rival, otherwise he wouldn't of said what he said and the way he said it.

"Yes, before you got here actually," _bitch please_.

"Well, than you better go find her, because from what I know we're about to leave soon." I said standing up, squaring him off. "Really?" He said arching a stupid eyebrow.

"Yes really." He turned away and stopped mid track, "do you think Bella would mind having breakfast with me?" He was risking it.

"I think so, because she might have promised you a drink, but she showed me that she might have breakfast with me." I looked at him in his stupid dark brown eyes, while dropping my hands to my sides, showing off the raging erection I was still sporting while grinning like a very satisfied lion out on the hunt.

He swallowed hard and looked up at me, then suddenly he ran out like a scared Chihuahua possibly in search for Bella.

_Fuck yeah baby, got you now you little fucker._

Damn… it felt good to be king of the jungle.

* * *

**A/N: Who doesn't love a cocky Edward? I sure as hell love him. Anyway, hope you enjoyed this update and please drop a review! Good night or rather good morning, afternoon or evening cuz I don't know where you live! For those who are wondering, right now its 12:08 a.m. L.A. time so technically it's a good morning to my fellow Pacific timers! 'til next time, love you lots ;)**


	5. Running

**A/N: Because I feel inspired by how a lot of hits and alerts, the critics aren't really saying anything- I decided to update earlier than expected! I still thank you from the bottom of my heart all the quiet love, but love nonetheless, you've been giving me and the story :D**

**P.S. I realize that I have a lot of grammatical mistakes, I will fix them in the morning I promise. Right now though, my pillow calls T_T**

* * *

**BPOV**

**_Early Sunday morning, 3:59 a.m..._  
**

_How the fuck did I end up running away from potential mobsters, through the town of Forks in nothing but a bikini?_

_

* * *

_

**Early Sunday morning, 2:48 a.m.  
**

As I grinded with Alice to the latest summer hit in my alcohol induced stupor, I heard someone yet again call my name, I didn't really care at the moment so I kept dancing suggestively with my best friend.

"Bella!" Jacob's annoyed calls finally got to me and I told Ali that I would check out what was wrong. She gave me a far-off grin and bounced to Jasper who had been watching us from the bar. "What is it, Jacob?" I asked, anger seeping into my voice.

"You promised me a drink…" He said, looking down. I vaguely remembered that indeed I had promised him a drink but because I was more thirsty than honor-bound I said, "that's right I did. Let's go get it now!" I ran to the bar and ordered a straight whiskey on the rocks. I grinned to myself remembering that not so long ago I had Edward in the palm of my hand. I took a swig at my new-found drink and smacked my lips at the deliciousness of it.

_Mmm… takes like Edward…_

"So, are you going to come and visit now more often?" Jacob asked taking me away from my fantasies about Edward and I making love in a wide white bed, wrapped in white silk sheets while red roses surrounded us.

"Hmm?" I asked, dumbly, "oh! Maybe; after seeing the house again, it made me nostalgic." I said, remembering the mixed emotions I felt when we pulled up in Jacob's tiny as fuck car. _Well, if you compare it to Emmett's huge ass Hummer._

"Anything else that would make you come back?" He asked looking down while outlining the ring of water his cherry juice with vodka had accumulated while sitting in the dark oak bar table.

I thought about it and after a moment, I didn't come up with anything else. "I don't think so…" I said, still trying to think of things to do in Forks that didn't end up with one getting drunk at home because it was so boring there was nothing else left to do.

"Really?" He said, biting his lip while still looking down. I turned to look at him and realized he was crestfallen. I was shocked and couldn't help but ask, "what's wrong?"

"Nothing." He said simply, suddenly he sprung up so fast it startled me. "Hey, I think I should go and check up on everything and see if any drunken people jump into the water and drown themselves…" And with that he ran down the beach towards what looked like his friends who were chatting up some really plastic blondes.

I scoffed at this and turned back to my drink, just then Jasper ran to my side, "Bella, I think we should go. Alice and Emmett are completely wasted and I can't find Edward."

"Oh come on Jasper, let's stay a little bit longer!" I whined like a child, he arched his eyebrow at me, grinning like a dumbass. _Oh yeah, he's a psychologist…_

"I'm pretty sure you don't want me to use my expertise at your rather childish behavior that not even my most immature clients don't do that when they don't get their way."

"Shut up. You're clients are all overly-intelligent kids that sound more like walking encyclopedias rather than eleven or twelve year old kids." Jasper laughed and shook his head, making his handsome features look that much handsomer. _I'm so drunk I'm making up words… _"They do!" I said defiantly, going as far as stomping my foot, while trying not to fall down since my head was spinning now that I was standing, "it's like watching reruns of _The Nanny_ and watching Gracie psychoanalyzing her psychologist. I bet you they do that to you!" I exclaimed.

"You watch reruns of _The Nanny_?" Jasper asked, incredulously. "What?" I asked insulted. "I love that show!"

"No, no reason." He said thoughtfully, I didn't like that… "Anyway, let's go. You're totally wasted too and I'm shocked we can hold a conversation."

"Oh come on Jasper!" I whined once again, only to realize that I wanted to throw up. "Oh god…" The saliva was already overflowing in my mouth…

"What?" Jasper asked, worried all of a sudden at my change in attitude; I was holding my stomach as I bent down slightly in case all of the alcohol I had consumed in the last three hours would come up.

"I'm gonna puke." I warned, feeling the nauseous feeling all over my body, _fuck I hate this feeling more than I hate not drinking my coffee in the morning..._

"Fanfuckingtastic." Jasper said, running his hands through his hair, annoyed. I briefly thought of Edward when he did this. I hoped to Jesus and all his apostles that if I was gonna puke, than not to have Edward show up when I was doing so.

I closed my eyes and willed the feeling to go away, just as I was doing this I heard Alice, Rose and Emmett walk up to us. "Oh my god Jasper!"

"What is it Alice?" He asked, sounding worried. _Poor guy. It was like taking care of five over-grown children._

"We don't know where Edward is!" I sprung up so fast I almost fell from the dizziness. "What do you mean?" I demanded walking up to her, feeling frantic and feeling my heart in my throat all of a sudden.

"He suddenly disa-"

"Why are you guys looking so worried?" We heard Edward asking rather coolly not so far from we were standing. He looked so gorgous standing there..._ like a big, hot ice cube._

"Well, fuck me." Emmett said, shocked that we were freaking out for no reason.

"Nah bro, you're not my type." Edward said right before taking a swig of my whiskey on the rocks. I wanted to protest but realized that I had been holding my breath and was staring at him feeling as if my soul had come back into my body.

"Mmm… delicious." He said, looking at me from the corner of his eye. I still stared, speechless, trying to recuperate myself and trying to understand the emotions that were coursing through my body. _Um... news flash! I'm kinda in love with him, that's why I'm feeling like this!_

"Edward!" Alice yelled, angry, "where the fuck were you?"

"I went for a little walk by the beach that's not incorporated in the party."

"Why?" Jasper took a step forward, curious. His psychologist side was in full force tonight, I guessed.

"I dunno." Edward said, shrugging. "Just felt like it."

"Interesting…" Jasper whispered, eyes scanning Edward's body language, which was rather relaxed and laid back. But possibly like Jasper, I felt he was hiding something.

"So," Rosalie said, slurring, "are we staying or going?"

"Going." Everyone but Edward answered, all of us sounding exhausted all of a sudden. The high of the alcohol was wearing off I guessed.

"How are we getting to Bella's house?" Emmett asked, looking in the direction of Charlie's home that was at least three miles away. "Because there's no way in hell we're gonna drive there."

"We can walk." Edward said, a slight sarcastic tone in his voice. He stood beside me, sending butterflies all over my body.

"Fuck no." Rosalie said, staring at Edward like he was crazy. She walked over to my other side, looking at me. "Any ideas?"

I turned to her and thought of different ways to get there. "I may have one." Edward said, looking somewhere not so far off. We all followed his gaze to see a bunch of fraternity boys horsing around near what looked like a Tahoe.

"No fucking way." Emmett said immediately, Rose clicked her tongue, "hell no Edward. Hell no." Jasper, Alice and I were totally lost.

"There's no other way." Edward said, still rather blasé. Emmett looked like he was going to kill Edward, "are you fucking crazy?"

"What's going on?" Alice said, her sibling sense kicked in and was clearly stepping in to keep things from getting out of control.

"Those dumbasses over there were ogling Rosalie like dogs after steak." Emmett explained, while Rosalie took out her make up and started checking the status of her current situation. I knew what was going to happen before it happened.

"I know that Emmett, and I'm not going to sell her to them, I'm just saying that if we-" Rosalie snapped her make up closed and put it away. This was, to everyone, her way of saying "enough bitches, it's my turn to speak."

"So here's the deal," she said looking at all of us in general, "we're gonna go to Bella's house, sleep and go home tomorrow as soon as possible. I have a lunch date with my parents and I don't want to miss it or be late," we knew she was totally serious because she barely saw her parents who were affluent New York lawyers and would every now and then come and visit her. "If I don't mind using my hotness, than you shouldn't either." She turned to Emmett who looked like he had something in the tip of his tongue but stayed quiet, otherwise he would been chewed out alive.

"What are you going to do exactly?" Alice asked taking out her cover up dress now that the party was over.

"Just sweet talk them, hint that they might get lucky if they do what I say but never actually do anything."

"Dine and dash." I said, humorlessly. Edward gave out a dry chuckle, making me blush slightly. The alcohol buzz was leaving my body, therefore taking away my bravado.

"Basically-" Emmett started to say darkly but was cut short by Rosalie's sharp glare. He bit his lip, trying to not dramatically dry up his genetic pool. Rosalie was a great kicker, as well as great aim.

"So here's the deal. We're gonna go up there and I'm gonna ask for a ride with my friends," Rosalie said, taking complete charge, "when they agree, 'cuz they will," she grinned to herself while I rolled my eyes trying not to laugh, "we'll get on, tell them to drop us off somewhere not so far off from Charlie's house and then when we're sure they're not anywhere near us, we'll hurry to your house." She said looking at us.

I understood what she meant. _Brains and beauty._

"Wow, I didn't think of that…" Jasper said, also realizing that Rosalie had thought of not only our safety, but my dad's safety and the house's well-being. I looked over at the guys and noticed that although I didn't know many of the guys from Forks, I didn't recognize any of the guys that were going to be our ticket home.

"You don't recognize any of them right?" Jasper said, coming closer and also checking their body language to see what kind of guys they were. Having a psychologist for a best friend had it's advantages as well as annoying disadvantages.

"No, I mean from what I remember, Forks doesn't have a university so I'm assuming these frat boys heard about the event through regular club promotion." I said, as everyone tried to make it look like we weren't watching them. "What do you make of them?" I said, looking at him while he intently watched them.

"The four guys," he noted as four of the five were laughing and hitting each other playfully, "are the followers. The guy sitting down," he slightly pointed to the frat boy that was casually sitting in the bumper of the Tahoe, playing with something that we couldn't make out because of the distance, "he's the leader. Notice how he's playing with something, while looking rather somber." I looked and realized that indeed he looked like he had something on his mind, "we should watch out for him." Jasper said, serious.

"Why?" Edward asked standing behind him, his back turned, looking at the sea, as to not draw attention. Before answering his question Jasper motioned me to turn to him to make it look like we were having a conversation about something.

"He's preoccupied and if we talk in the wrong way, look at him the wrong way, or even breathe the wrong way, he'll snap." Jasper said this, but with a warning edge mostly directed at Emmett who was currently playing around with the sand at his feet with his hands in his pockets. He scoffed and kept kicking the sand, "hey!" Alice yelled after some of the sand hit her on the side. "Sorry A." Emmett said, but not sounding very sincere. "Yeah go kick sand into some one else's face." She said resentfully as she and Rosalie made it look like they were having a conversation about make up and clothing to make their conversation more realistic.

"They look somewhat dangerous." Jasper said, returning to his observations.

"What do you mean?" Emmett asked, almost growling.

"They don't look like regular frat guys. This is a premature conclusion, but the leader shows some of the signs of a sociopath."

"Holy shit." Emmett said, standing behind Rose and I, I grinned at his protectiveness but immediately felt afraid.

"So what now?" Edward said, alert. Jasper talked to him while looking at me, "Rose walks up to them with Bella," Emmett hissed and for some reason I felt Edward tense up, "and they flirt with the guys. After a bit, you'll ask if they could give you and your friends a ride to a friend's house. If they say no, although I doubt it, you'll flirt a little bit more while insisting. But," he added, "like I said, be careful. I can tell the leader's on edge."

"Ok but why me?" I asked surprised that I was gonna be half of the bait.

"Because Rose can't go alone and Alice is too short-"

"Hey!"

"Sorry Ali, but carefully and discreetly look at the side of the truck. Do you see the bumper sticker?" I felt that everyone turned slightly to see what Jasper was pointing out. When I zeroed in, I could make out a sticker that said, "Real Men want Real Women, and Baby, I'm a Real Man".

"What the fuck does that have to do with anything?" Alice said, furious. Jasper held up his hands immediately as to shield himself from her wrath and quickly explained, "that sticker shows that they are chauvinistic as well as have the firm beliefs that anything less than 'normal' is below them. Rosalie is 5'10", that's tall for the average American, adult woman as well as the fact that she's extremely beautiful," Alice clicked her tongue angrily, "Bella is 5'9" also extremely beautiful but it's average for the American adult woman ," I blushed and looked down, embarrassed as his comment, "both of them are what you consider a 'real woman'."

Alice almost lunched herself at him like a deranged animal to which Jasper stepped away from her a couple of paces looking absolutely sacred, Edward and Emmett on the other hand were trying hard not laugh, "those are _extremely_ and I emphasize the word 'extremely' chauvinistic beliefs! Psychologically speaking, that's what they might think by seeing you who happen to be so," I could tell he was trying to chose the right word, otherwise it would have been he who would dry up his genetic pool. "Petite." _Good choice._

Alice was practically hyperventilating and if her eyes could shoot lasers, Jasper would have been a thing of the past. "He's right, sis." Edward said, grinning but being totally serious.

"Fuck you." Alice said to him and Jasper, angry tears in her eyes. She grabbed her sandals that she had taken out while Jasper and I talked and walked off into the beach. "Alice!" Jasper yelled, running after her.

"Aren't you going to go see if she's ok?" Rosalie asked the Cullen brothers. The three of us looked at her with looks that read, "really? You're asking?" Rosalie gave us a knowing smirk and turned to me, "ready?"

"No." I said, not realizing that it came out of my mouth without me realizing it. She grinned and said, "Bella…"

"Yeah…?" I asked, scared.

"Imagine you are the hottest woman on the planet that anyone would ever want and would die just to have you kiss them." I realized what she was trying to do but said nothing. She went on noticing her tactic wasn't working, "ok. Think of a hot man, someone who is so fucking hot, you would die if he were to give you a minute of their day."

_Edward!_

I glued my eyes to Rosalie's face and kept my face from breaking into a smile as flashes of my stay in the cabana earlier that night with a certain doctor-to-be ran through my mind. "Can you think of anyone that makes you so hot you practically cum just by thinking of them standing next to you?"

I could feel both Edward and Emmett's faces glued to my very red one. "Yes."

"Who?" Emmett and Rosalie asked. The former more out of curiosity and teasing while the latter still trying to get me to feel good about my appearance.

"Robert Lane." I blurted out, I heard coughing from the direction where Edward was standing but ignored it. Robert didn't really make me cum just by looking at him, but he was very handsome and charming. Besides, i could not under any circumstances admit to everyone that I had the hots for Edward. They would skin me alive with their teasing. I slightly shuddered.

"The reporter that interviewed you?" Edward asked, I could tell he was trying to keep his blasé demeanor that he was currently sporting since disappearing.

"Yes, him. He's fucking hot, are you kidding me?" I asked, putting on a cheery tone and beaming face.

"Ok," Rose said bringing me back to her and I quietly thanked her for pulling me away from Edward's gaze. "Think of him, imagine yourself out on a date with him. Can you do that?"

"Yes." I said, remembering that he asked to have coffee with me next time he was in Seattle. But as I imagined myself having coffee with Robert he slowly morphed into Edward...I suddenly broke into a smile, "totally."

"Ok, don't lose that, and let's go." Rose said, taking my hand pulling me towards the frat boys.

"We'll be here watching." Emmett said, suddenly serious.

"Be careful." Edward said as if we were going off to war. I laughed a bit and put on my "kitten face" like Alice had called my "sexy" look. In my mind's eye, Edward and I had moved on from coffee to bedroom in a matter of seconds. I guessed Rosalie's tactic had been working because before we got to the guys, she said that she had never seen my "kitten face" so on the mark. I tried very hard not to blush and run away, we had a mission to do for lack of a better term.

We got to the truck and immediately the guys stopped horsing around and they stared at us like a deer caught in the headlights. There was even one guy that cursed under his breath saying something about how hot we were and he had died and gone to heaven.

"Hey." Rose said, flirtatiously, "remember me?"

The leader looked at us up and down, as if he was savoring us. I felt slightly naked but kept smiling and sending them sultry looks. I was so nervous underneath it all that it hurt, but kept my front up.

"Yeah I remember you." He grinned and turning to me, "but I didn't remember you…" He said, sending me a very sexual look. He was blonde, gray eyes, and gave me a very bad feeling.

"Unfortunately." I purred. He sent me a very wide grin, "maybe we could get to know each other better…"I twirled a strand of my hair, while licking my lips suggestively. His followers started to laugh excitedly and watching us almost without blinking.

"So what's your name?" Rose said looking at the guy, almost laughing. I could tell she would never let that comment die after tonight.

"James. But I know both of your names." He said, almost proud of himself. I rolled my eyes, letting my fame get to me for the first time, _who doesn't?_

"Really? Who are we?" Rose said, knowing that I wasn't up to keep the conversation going.

"You're Rosalie Hale, the new Angel at _Victoria's Secret_ and you" he looked at me, "are Bella Swan, a journalist that was named one of the most beautiful people of 2010. Boy, looking at you face to face, I could tell you earned those titles." He said looking at us up and down.

"Hey baby," a short, redhead leered at me, "maybe after getting to know James, you could come over to my house and get to know me too." I kept grinning, wanting to throw up again, but this time it was harder to keep it down.

"Shut the fuck up." James said, hitting the redhead on the side of the head, angry, "don't talk to them like that. Don't you see that these are ladies you're talking to?" He looked up at us again and grinned, trying to look suave.

_Oh god, kill me now._

"I was wondering if you could do us a favor." Rose said, just like me, she was sick of the disgusting leering.

"Sure honey, what is it?"

Rose grinned, satisfied, I was more relieved than satisfied.

* * *

After a very grumpy James and his stupid crones drove my friends and I a block away from my house in front of a neutral place so as to not signal an innocent home, they said they would come visit Rose and I the following morning. Rose and I agreed, cursing them in our minds.

Alice was still rather hurt about the observations Jasper had made, but she realized that indeed they had been true. James and the guys agreed that she was beautiful but didn't bother to even look at her a second time. Alice was more insulted by this than any of the professional observations Jasper had made.

We got off the Tahoe and we all cheerfully waved them away, that way we could make sure they wouldn't see what direction we would head off. When they turned the corner I ran east towards Charlie's house, my friends blindly following me.

"You remember the way right?" Alice asked, worried that indeed it had been too long and I'd forgotten how to get around the town.

"Yes, these streets are etched permanently in my mind, i said remembering that even though I didn't like staying in Forks, there was no other place in the world that I knew so fully.

"How far?" Emmett asked, as he looked back to see if James and his gang were out there following us.

"Five minutes." I said between breaths, glad that I had taken up early morning jogging five years ago and almost never missed my regime.

"Oh god, I'm gonna pee in my pants." Alice said, totally afraid. I agreed, I had never felt so afraid in my life, even though James and his gang hadn't actually done anything. But I knew that everyone agreed that there was something about James that didn't really agree with us, as if he raised our subconscious' alarms to be careful.

We ran a little bit more when we finally reached the very familiar lane where Charlie's home was. Alice and Jasper sighed, recognizing it too. "Where here, I assume?" Edward said, running beside me.

"Yes, the house coming up next." I said, feeling an immense relief and warmth inside of me. We ran up to the porch and remembering that Charlie always left a spare key in a secret nook in the corner of the porch. I opened the screen door, than the main door and ran in, "get in, get in, get in, get in, get in!" I rushed as my friends ran into the dark house. I locked the door and felt for the light switch, remembering where everything was without needing any kind of light. Then realizing that having the main lights would be bad especially since we didn't know if James and his gang were circling the streets trying to find us.

I ran to the kitchen while telling my friends to try and follow me in the shadows. "If I turn on the lights in the living room, they might see us if they're circling around." I whispered as I found the kitchen lights. My friends looked scared shitless.

"Well, this is certainly not how I imagined ending my night." Edward said, sitting down in one of the kitchen chairs that Charlie had for the breakfast table.

"Oh god, I'm gonna die." Alice said, slumping down.

"We couldn't be in a safer home." Emmett said looking over at the entrance, I grinned remembering that Charlie's gun belt was still there, only to see that his gun was missing. Possibly he put it away in case someone took advantage of his being out of town to rummage into his house. _Like us for example…_

"The Chief of Police's daughter, huh?" Rose said, color returning to her fair skin.

"Yeah," I grinned, feeling Charlie's protective arms around me. I wanted to cry, wishing for the first time in a very long time, that Daddy was there to protect me.

"Bella, can I use your bathroom?" Jasper asked shyly after a moment.

"Oh yeah totally!" I said, showing him the way as everyone fought for who's turn it was next,I turned off the lights just in case and went up to the stairs.

After remembering that Charlie only had one bathroom, and since everyone wanted to take a much needed shower, we decided that everyone was going to take five-minute showers that way everyone would be able to clean up faster.

Thirty minutes later, the girls were waring some of my clothes that Charlie had kept in my dressers from my last visit, this made me even more ashamed that I rarely if not at all visited him. I went into Charlie's room to get some sweats that the guys would be able to wear for the night and after everyone was bathed and changed we all were in my bedroom planning our escape from Forks.

"Ok, they said they would come in the morning to visit us. And since we had already decided to leave town early, it won't be hard to sneak back into the beach and into our cars." Rose said, taking the lead.

"Fuck." Jasper said, his realizing something bad, "what is it?"

"What if James stakes out our cars that way he'll make sure he gets to see Rosalie and Bella again?"

"Fuck." Alice said, absolutely terrified now. "Ok, ok I have an idea." Emmett said, trying to calm everyone down.

"How far is the beach from here, walking distance?"

I tried to estimate the distance and came up with a very rough estimate, "about an hour."

He turned to Edward and asked, "do you think we would do it?"

"Yeah, duh." We all knew that Emmett, Jasper and Edward were total gym junkies. "Ok," Emmett said getting up. "Let's go."

"Wearing sandals?" Alice said, pointing to their sandals, she had a point. Eventually they would get blisters from the thongs for the sandals.

"I got it." I ran to Charlie's room and once again rummaging through his shoes, all I found were never used men's sneakers and his extra pair of fishing boots.

"Do you think they'll fit?" Emmett asked, worried.

"Dude, doesn't matter, we need to get our cars and fast." Edward said putting on the sneakers.

"You're right."

"I'll go with you." Jasper said, "I have almost photographic memory and I remember the way from the ride with Jacob."

"No, you stay, the girls need some male reassurance." Emmett said strapping on the boots.

"Oh, thanks Em." Rose said, annoyed.

"He's right though," Edward said, getting up from putting on the sneakers. "No one else has a better memory than Jasper, other than myself."

"Smooth." I said to him, just like Rose to Emmett. "You forget that technically I am from here. I'll go with you Emmett to get Edward's Volvo and that way Edward and Jasper could stay with Alice and Rosalie."

"Good plan." Emmett said, "but can you keep up with me?"

"Fuck yeah, you guys aren't the only ones into working out. Let's go." They all walked out and said good bye to Emmett and I, but after I gave them the pepper spray that Charlie had in his gun belt as well as some almost-never used knives that were in the kitchen.

Charlie was not big on cooking, he was more of a fast food fan. _And yet, he was slim as a cross country runner._

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**Early Sunday morning, 4:56 am...**

After an hour of running and giving Emmett a run for his money, we finally arrived at the beach, noticing that the Tahoe was parked not so far off, but James and his gang weren't any where near it, they must have decided to get some of the late party action I thought. Emmett ran to his truck and I ran to Edward's Volvo.

Immediately I was assaulted by the concentrated aroma that was Edward and before I got high on it, I revved up the car and gunned it, Emmett following suit. We got to the house in record time, leaving the Volvo still on, I ran into the house to get everyone else. I got to the porch as Alice opened the door, "out, out, out, out, out, out, out, out!" I chanted as I took out the key from my pocket and locked the main door after checking that the lights were totally off. I quietly thanked Charlie for not changing anything in the house in the last eleven years, and thanked God for making it fairly easy to get out of Forks. Although the frat boy gangsters where not needed.

_But hey, I couldn't change that now._

I put away the key in its rightful place and ran out to find Edward standing by the driver's seat of his car, waiting for his keys, "get in, everyone's with Emmett." When seeing the exchange of the keys and that I was safely in the car, Emmett backed out and waited for Edward to drive. "Fuck, I don't know the way out from this street and and on to the freeway. It'll take too long to put it in the GPS!" He said frantically.

"Get out." I commanded taking my seatbelt off, he did so realizing that I was going to take the wheel. We heard the others whispering us to hurry, as neighbors started to come out to see if anyone had burglarized Charlie's home.

_Not now!_

"Who's that?" An elderly man asked, baseball bat in hand, I lowered the window and stuck my head out, "it's me! Bella Swan! Charlie knows I'm here, I just came to pick some stuff up!"

"Fuck!" Edward said, watching as most of the homeowners started to advance on us, "get out of the car and show them it's you!"

I did as he said, and when they realized that it was me, they showered me with greetings, "yeah it was nice to see you again, Mr. Burton. Well, nice I have everything I need, I'm going to head out. I'm going on a trip with my friends and I decided to come pick some stuff up from my childhood," I was so thankful that my friends had taught me to lie under pressure, because everyone in the town of Forks knew that Bella Swan was a horrible liar. "You don't need to call Charlie or anything, he already knows I was here." I covered my tracks. If Charlie was going to find out about this, I was going to be the one to tell him.

After reassuring me that they wouldn't raise alarm in town, Alice ran out of Emmett's truck and gave me my cell phone, "Bella, you put your phone in my stuff!" I looked at her confused, but she gave me a look to play along with her. She had forced Emmett to put all our stuff in the Hummer after we got sick of carting our bags around, she had access to my phone. She probably thought of the fact that Edward and I would be unable to communicate with them, I smiled and thanked her.

I went back into Edward's car and drove away, trying to make it sound like we weren't in a rush. I put on a smile for the umpteenth time that day and waved goodbye to the various somewhat-familiar faces of my childhood.

"I'm going to have a fucking heart attack at the age of 26." Edward said, slumping back into his black leather seat cover.

"What about me? I'm going to have a brain hemorrhage at the age of 25!" I said, as we entered the freeway, I checked to see if Emmett's Hummer was behind us, and indeed it was. I sighed, totally relieved.

We drove in silence after a couple of chuckles, not needing to say anything. I glanced at the digital clock in the GPS and realized it was almost six in the morning. I had never had such a long day in my life and wasn't keen on repeating something like this again for a _very _long time. Just then my phone started to ring: Alice.

"Edward, please?" Keeping my eyes on the road, Edward took the phone from my lap, lightly brushing my legs, I said nothing and kept driving. _Eyes on the road, eyes on the road._

"Alice?" Edward answered putting her on speakerphone.

"Let's go to Mom and Dad's. We were talking and well, what if James and his gang were to stake us out in Seattle, I mean since they know who Rose and Bella are, it's going to be pretty easy to figure out were they live. And besides, dad will pull some stings in case James does go after Rose and Bella for leaving him out to dry."

"Ok, good point." Edward said, as we exchanged worried looks. I was not liking this, not liking it at all, he hung up and went back to watching the road. He and I were thinking along the same lines.

_Holy fuck, we're screwed._

_

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**A/N: So some of you are thinking "WTF? How does this have to do with the original premise of the story? Well, my friends, that's the beauty of fanfiction, you just don't know where you're gonna go and how you're gonna get there. Trust me, it will ALL make sense. That is why I made this three days before the prologue. :D Anyway, hope you liked this crazy chapter, and if you didn't please no flames, only constructive criticism! Thanks for reading!**


	6. Relaxing

**A/N: Sorry for taking such a long time to update; I just finished summer session at school and it took up all of my time and focus. Hope most of you weren't confused with the last chapter. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own **_**Twilight. **_

**Disclaimer 2: Although Emmett and Bella are driving I do NOT condone drinking and driving. For the sake of this story they have to but, because of the adrenaline and the running around, both characters are very much aware of their surroundings.  
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**Early Sunday afternoon, 12:26 p.m.**

_Everything happened so fast...how did I get underwater? Why do I feel Edward's arms around me? Am i dreaming? The water feels so good around my body but Edward's arms feel better... I wish i could stay here forever, like this..._

* * *

**BPOV**

**Sunday morning, 6:45 a.m.**

"You fit perfectly in my car, you know." Edward said, I turned to see him somewhat taken aback because he and I hadn't really spoken the ride back from Forks. He was currently laying back, arms folded and eyes closed looking like a gorgeous almost-human statue.

"What do you mean?" Remembering that I couldn't really watch him rest, because I was driving through the outskirts of Seattle.

"You look good driving my car." He said, still keeping his position. I arched my eyebrow and grinned. "Have you been watching me instead of sleeping?"

"Maybe." He returned by grin but kept his eyes closed. "So," he said somewhat awkwardly, "you have a date with that reporter from the red carpet?"

"I think so." I said honestly, trying to remember Robert and everything before I decided to get so wasted I couldn't think straight, and then apparently getting sober from the freak show. I was appalled that I was driving when hours before I was totally drunk. If Charlie ever found out about this he would lock me up in the slammer for the rest of my sorry life.

"Really? That's cool." Edward said, obviously not cool with it. I bit my lip and decided to hash it out. "Look," I said, watching a big rig pass me by and slowing down a bit. I didn't trust my state. I hated myself so much for currently driving that I knew I would never get so drunk in the future. "No." Edward said, still keeping his front, "not now."

I glanced at him and went back to driving saying nothing to his resolve. Even though I wanted to talk to him about the cabana "incident", he was right. We had more important things to do.

**Sunday morning, 7:27 a.m.**

I got off the freeway, not so far off of Seattle, and onto a private lane surrounded by magnificent oaks, cedars and beech trees. The Cullen estate was two to three miles away from where we were. "Every time I come, I get blown away by the sheer beauty of it all." I said taking in the sights. Edward chuckled, looking out the window, also taking in the sights. "Yeah, I know what you mean." He said, in a far away voice.

"You miss living here?" I asked, trying to get rid of the tension in the car.

Edward let out a heavy sigh and said, "Kind of. It reminds me of my childhood and all the good times my siblings and I had growing up." He reminisced, "is that how you felt when you saw Charlie's home?"

"Yeah, although I felt more ashamed of myself than anything," I checked to see if Emmett was still trailing us, and indeed he was not so far off, "why did you feel ashamed?" Edward said turning to me, shocked.

"Because I only call Charlie for his birthday or holidays and send him his gifts by mail." I felt a horrible feeling, voicing this out. "You know, out of everyone, you're the one that least talks about her parents or childhood." He noted, I chuckled humorlessly.

"I guess you can say that although I love my parents, Renee always tried to use me as a way to get back at Charlie. He didn't use that tactic so much, but Renee did. She believed that Charlie had taken the best years of her life. When she met Phil, her new husband, she finally realized she was being very immature and unfair, so she apologized. They have a much better relationship now, but their cold relationship after the divorce made me want to run away from both of them.

"Ironic that you went to college an hour away from Forks…" Edward said, jokingly. I ignored his jab, and went on to explain my reasons, "you're right, it is ironic," Edward went into his glove compartment and took out a little control thing, turned down the window and pointed the control at the door of the five-car garage that was besides the Victorian mansion. The garage door opened and I parked the Volvo finally realizing that I would be able to rest once we explained to Mr. and Mrs. Cullen our impromptu morning visit.

We got out of the car and stretched out, I felt my joints pop and immediately felt the tension relieve itself from my muscles. Emmett parked besides me and as soon as he turned off his Hummer, Alice jumped out in front of me and hugged me, "oh Bella that was so scary!"

"I know Alice," Rosalie, Jasper and Emmett came to us while Edward stood behind us, leaning against his car. "But now we don't have to worry about anything. I mean we don't even know if they would have done something wrong!" Alice didn't let me go and rested her head on my shoulder. She always did this whenever she needed comfort from someone.

"Yeah, but there was something about him that I couldn't shake off, he gave me chills." Rosalie said, holding herself remembering James.

"I may be a psychologist," Jasper said, "but I also know that the natural instincts are there for a reason, and this guy gave all of us weird vibes. Besides the fact that I still hold my belief that he is a sociopath."

"Let's go inside and talk to our parents." Emmett said, rubbing his temples, "I'm starving." Emmett still being Emmett, was of course hungry. Out of everyone in the group, he ate the most at any sitting. Forget seconds or even thirds, he ate fifths if there was enough food left. It got so bad that we made him swear that if we would ever go out to dinner, he could only order meals in their standard amounts otherwise who ever was paying that night would sue him for the extra food.

He was so slighted that he didn't talk to any of us for two hours (that was an achievement for the very warm Emmett).

We headed to the Cullen mansion, all of a sudden very serious. "So, what do we tell your parents?" Rosalie said, walking alongside Emmett who was currently trying to not make obvious that he was rushing to the food that most likely was already set before the Cullens. They were early birds, and by now they would be having their breakfast; no one knew this better than our Emmett.

"The truth." Edward said quite simply. I thought about that and realized that the Cullens wouldn't like it if we weren't honest with them. Jasper was thinking along the same lines because, "yes. I agree. Your parents wouldn't appreciate 'tasteful' edits."

"So even the overflowing of alcohol?" I asked, covering up the actual thing I wanted to ask, mostly to Edward.

"Yes, even that." Edward answered, teasingly while sending me a sly grin, I threw daggers at him and ignored him. Why would he joke about "that"?

"Ok than." Rosalie said as we stood in front of the massive red oak doors with intricate designs.

**Sunday morning, 8:45 a.m.**

After explaining to the Cullens everything that happened the night before. Being told that we would talk about it and after a hot bath and fresh clothes and have been given two aspirin just in case I got hangover from all the drinking, I all walked down to the dinning room to find a beautiful antique dining table full of the best Continental breakfast I had even seen.

Platters of eggs, bacon, sausages, hash browns and delicious looking blueberry and strawberry pancakes were surrounded by pitchers of orange juice, milk, cream and coffee. My mouth watered almost immediately as I watched one of the maids pour some fresh coffee on to Dr. Cullen's cup as he read the Sunday paper at the head of the table. Mrs. Cullen was sitting to his left, looking at an interior decorating catalogue, I grinned at this because they looked so normal even though they were worth an unbelievable amount of money.

"Hello, Bella!" Mrs. Cullen got up and greeted me by kissing me hello once again and hugging me. "Hello Mrs. Cullen." I said, blushing somewhat because of her warm greeting. Like a true gentleman, Dr. Cullen got up and pulled my chair and waited for me to sit down, moving on to Mrs. Cullen who sent him a knowing smile as she sat down. "Feeling better?"

"Yes actually." I said as the maid pour me a cup of coffee. The fresh, robust aroma made my mouth water automatically. "Thank you." I said smoothly to the maid, more thankful that she would have ever imagined. "Mr. and Mrs. Cullen," I started, nervously.

"Wait, Bella. We'll talk about it after breakfast." Dr. Cullen stopped me, with a calm voice. I felt automatically relaxed. I smiled and dug into the strawberry pancakes the maid had supplied me with.

After some small talk about my career and the fact that the Cullens were avid readers of my articles in _The Seattle Times_. I blushed when Mrs. Cullen commented on an article I had written on the social strain of being a career woman and a well-rounded mother, women had to deal with even now in the 21st century.

"Thank you Mrs. Cullen, I appreciate your accolades even more so because unlike me, you really are a mother." I blushed, smiling bashfully.

"You may not be a mother, but you are a woman with a career. I'm sure there are people that ask you or themselves why you're still single. Am I right?"

Completely. My own mother had been trying to get me married since I had turned 21, saying that she wanted to be a young grandmother and how she wanted to be able to see her great-grandchildren.

Every two weeks she would call me from Phoenix sending me various different photos of eligible bachelors in the Seattle area. How she got hold of them, I don't know but she worked miracles just to get me to go on a date.

"Yes." I answered simply, deciding not to go into the mother/daughter dynamics behind that simple statement.

"So there is credibility to your article, besides the fact that you included real career women with children who gave their own stories." Mrs. Cullen assured me. Even though I knew this, I mean I had written the article, I still felt somewhat unsure that people would not consider my article and commentary to be inaccurate because I wasn't either married or had children.

"Bella, I do have to agree with my wife," Dr. Cullen said, also trying to reassure me, "I also read your article and believe you showed a very level and honest platform." He took a sip from his coffee, "now," he folded his newspaper and put it aside giving me his full attention, "so, any possible boyfriends you might bring over and have us meet him?" He threw me a wink, I blushed of course looking down at my half eaten strawberry pancakes and trying to will my body not to make my head the color of a ripe tomato.

In lieu of Charlie and Renee being far away from me (technically in Charlie's case) the Cullens had taken on the role of my parental influence, and even though I was just a family friend, they took it quite literally. "Carlisle," Mrs. Cullen reprimanded her husband, covering her mouth lightly with her napkin to cover up her light smile. _Always a lady no matter what_.

"That was refreshing!" A rather… _refreshed_ Edward came in through the French doors from the main hall into the dining room in dark-washed jeans, faded _Rolling Stones _concert shirt from the 80s, that looked like it had had a very long and eventful life and some black and white chucks.

_God, he looked so hot in his teenage clothes, that surprisingly still fit him_. I wondered what my life would have been if I had meet the Cullens when I was in my awkward phase, otherwise known as my teenage years. I shuddered slightly.

_That would have been tragic, just tragic._

"How old are you? 16?" Alice walked in, Rosalie trailing behind her, wearing a belted flowy, feminine and floral romper with some sky-high pumps. Her hair like always, was styled to to point in every possible direction, and was wearing light makeup since it wasn't evening she didn't need to go all out.

Rose, probably borrowing some of Alice's clothes, was wearing skinny jeans, a plain pink top with sequin embellishments scattered around the front of the blouse (_sooo _Alice) creating a look that could go from day to night, which was Alice's most important critique when buying clothes. Rose finished off her look by having her hair in a neat high pony tail and black pumps just like Alice.

I looked down at the clothes I had opted for in the clothes that Alice kept in her childhood closet thinking we didn't need to go all out, and telling Alice off that we weren't going to a fashion show. I had chosen to go with some jeans, plain white tee and Alice's old tennis shoes that she swore were clean. Although she was right, now I felt like a frumpy old woman next to a _Victoria's Secret Angel _and the next Anna Wintour.

"How old are you? 35?" Edward asked pulling out her chair having learned well from his father, exaggerating his rebuttal knowing that Alice hated the idea of getting old, and deeply believed that once a woman turned 35 her best years were behind her. Rosalie agreed with her to the fullest.

"Shut it ugly version of roadkill." She said, sticking out her tongue at him, to the displeasure of Mrs. Cullen.

I tried not to gasp incredulously at her statement and tell her to go fuck herself because Edward was _most _definitely not the ugly version of anything, especially roadkill. "Alice behave." Mrs. Cullen said to her only daughter, before Alice could apologize to her mom, Emmett and Jasper made their entrance, the former stating that he was so hungry he could eat the food plus the dishes and silverware. Jasper just followed suit and sat next to Rosalie who was sitting across from the now-seated Alice who was next to me.

Edward sat across from me, I began to be self-conscious because he threw me a slight grin while everyone around said their hellos again.

"What were you talking about?" Alice asked, trying to take her mother's eyes from her and trying to get the train back into its tracks.

"Ah yes!" Mr. Cullen said giving me his full attention once again, _oh god…_ "Bella's boyfriend!"

Everyone's eyes snapped to mine, looking shocked. Edward's eyes were the first set that I took in. He had been in the middle of putting his napkin on his lap and froze, hand in the air with the cloth hanging limply over his lap. His eyes were dark, hard and penetrating, for some reason I couldn't look away.

"You have a boyfriend?" Alice shrieked, clapping like a trained seal, Rose looked blankly at me, while Emmett grinned like a dumbass and Jasper carefully watched Edward, who knows why but he did.

"No, I don't have a boyfriend Alice. Your dad was referring to the fact that before all of you walked in he had asked me if there were any possible prospects in my personal life." I said, deciding to look at Alice and answer her with an annoyed tone, trying hard not to look at Edward's reaction to the clarification.

"Oh." She looked deflated, "well that won't be for long!" She bounced up like a rubber ball and to this I had to arch my eyebrow.

"Anyway, I guess that's a no." Dr. Cullen said, laughing at the verbal misunderstanding he had accidentally done.

"For now." Alice whispered raising her cup of coffee that Emmett had poured her.

I was brave enough to look at Edward's direction but now he was having a side conversation with Rose. I looked away, deciding to forget the "incident" and decided to finish my conversation with Dr. Cullen while everyone eat their Sunday breakfast.

**Sunday morning, 11: 47 a.m.**

"Ok so can we just stay here for the whole day while Jones does his thing?" Alice asked her mom as we sat around the portico of one of the many sitting rooms in the second floor of her parents' Victorian mansion.

It was about to be noon and the girls and I were having a lovely conversation with Mrs. Cullen who was more than happy to have us around. The guys had decided to go play some hoops in the outdoor basketball court Emmett had put in when he was younger on the grounds of the Cullen estate.

Jones was a private detective Dr. Cullen had called while we showered and changed before breakfast, asking him to go to Forks and find out who James and his gang really were and what had happened with them after we were dropped off by them. Because we didn't know what kind of people we got involved with, we decided that the best thing to do was to stay with the Cullens and not go out for awhile.

"I would love it if you did." Mrs. Cullen exclaimed while one of the maids passed around tall glasses of lemon iced tea.

The sun was out for once in a blue moon and although it wasn't scorching hot like in Phoenix, it was still hot enough to want to drink some very chilled iced tea in Seattle standards. We were sitting on the floor, Alice had her head on Rosalie's lap while the latter leaned against one of the two doors that opened the sitting room to the portico. I was on the opposite door looking out through sunglasses, courtesy of Alice, and just stared at the vastness of the grounds letting a slight breeze play with a few loose strands of hair.

Because of the constant rain and the fact that it was summer, the grounds were a lush green worthy to be considered the greenest flora in the world. To my right you could make out the Olympic-sized swimming pool that looked serene, but since we were in a cool place and we weren't really doing any strenuous activity, the pool didn't look as inviting like always.

The only one that was not on the floor (to which no one was surprised) was Mrs. Cullen. She sat in a plush lounge chair specifically put there to look out at the scenery like we were right now.

"I hope your parents weren't angry at the change of plans." Mrs. Cullen spoke to Rosalie who kept her eyes on the trees swaying slightly in the wind a few miles away.

"It's fine, they couldn't make it in the end. Daddy had to go on a business trip to Munich three hours before their departure from New York so Mom had to cancel their trip to Seattle and change the tickets to one for Munich." Rosalie said calmly.

"You must be disappointed." Mrs. Cullen said, sounding sad.

"Not really, Mrs. Cullen. Although I really wanted to see them, their work, and now mine, always gets in the way. Thank god for Skype though." She smiled, Alice and I knew that she was being sincere and to some it might have sounded cold and detached, but we both knew that Rosalie was used to not being able to see her parents as much as she desired, but in the end she wasn't bitter or resentful; she understood.

We stayed there, quiet a while and we just were in happy companionship. For some reason, this made me think back to Edward and our drive up from Forks. I gave a dry chuckle as the others looked at me perplexed, I said nothing and they did too. The four of us were thinking and couldn't be bothered.

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**EPOV**

**Sunday, noon.**

The ball went through the hoop making a distinct _swish! _sound, as Jasper cheered somewhere behind me, while my dad and Emmett groaned in frustration. My feet hit the blacktop and I wiped the sweat off of my forehead and aired out my t-shirt.

We had been playing basketball for over two hours now and although the sun wasn't extremely hot, the workout of the game had made us extremely hot and sweaty. "We won!" Jasper came from behind and tackled me almost to the floor, I was able to stay on the ground but my body went forward with the weight and momentum of my very excited friend.

I laughed and cheered with him as my dad ran to get the ball that had gotten slightly away and Emmett came up to us, disappointment all over his face, "man, I thought we would win today."

"Don't worry, dude, there's always a first time for everything!" Jasper berated him, "but I guess that'll happen when you're 80!"

"Ha… ha… ha…" Emmett said humorlessly as I took of my sweaty shirt. I couldn't stand it anymore so decided to take it off, Emmett looked at my drenched shirt and a huge grin broke all over his boyish face.

"What?" I asked as Dad came back to us, ball in hand.

"Let's go for a swim in the pool!" He answered like an ecstatic kid out on an adventure. I grinned and said, "why, Emmett, there is a brain in there after all!" While putting my hand over his shoulder. He got annoyed and shook me off, "fuck off." Jasper laughed heartedly.

"Language." Carlisle said, sternly.

"Dad, come on. Mom isn't here you don't have to be so proper." Emmett said starting for the pool that was on the other side of the tennis courts facing the back of the house.

"Yes I know, but-"

"Nothing! Dad we're guys and guys talk like that! Hell, Alice has a worse potty mouth than I do!" Emmett said laughing.

"I guess all the years with your mother have rubbed off." Carlisle laughed while Emmett gave him plenty of words to add to his almost nonexistent repertoire of bad words when Mom wasn't around.

Jasper kept quiet, clearly watching our father/son/brother dynamics. He loved being a fly on the wall from his psychologist point of view, and I said nothing. I knew he would later tell me his findings.

When we were almost to the pool, Emmett roared in happiness and ran head first into the water making a huge splash. Jasper, Carlisle and I cheered as I threw myself in also, breaking the water and letting the cold water cool down my body and relishing in the sensations.

I broke the service, shaking the water from my hair and face while facing the house to realize that there were people in Mom's second-floor sitting room portico, only to realize that it was the girls. I waved happily at them as Emmett also noticed them after seeing me waving and gave another mirth-filled roar, as they got up from their seats or rather floor and looked at us in surprise.

"Come down!" Emmett yelled, they were close enough to hear us so Jasper and I joined in in the "peer pressure".

"Come on, the water's perfect!" I yelled, looking mostly at the brunette on my left.

We could hear Alice's happy shriking as she bounced up and down and trying to convince the other girls to come down with her. I could vaguely see Mom laughing behind them and watching Carlisle splashing Jasper like a little kid.

Right them Alice ran inside with the girls and they were out of sight. Emmett gave yet another roar of happiness from the thought of the girls (Rosalie) joining in the wet fun.

"Hey wait, let's go get some pool toys!" Emmett said to me, delighted.

"Great idea!" I said getting out of the pool in a hurry, thankfully we had been wearing sports shorts so they doubled as swimming trunks and weren't as heavy as other fabric once wet.

Emmett and I went into the pool shed were all of the pool controls and other pool related stuff was stored as well as other miscellaneous garden tools my mom kept since she was an avid gardener.

We pulled out the dusty, deflated pool toys and looked for our old bike pump we used to use to inflate the toys. We checked to see if they were still passable and were relieved that they were, once we finished inflating all of the pool toys Emmett and I carried them out, by that time the girls were already at the pool in swimsuits a little more conservative than the ones they had donned the night before. Possibly because they didn't want to show to much skin in front of Mom and Dad.

Bella was the only one that hadn't gone in already and everyone, even Mom, was trying to get her to go in.

My mischievous side came out as a brilliant idea came to me, without my official consent my arms let go of the various plastic toys and ran like a bullet towards Bella. I made contact with her body as I quickly wrapped my arms around her waist, hearing her gasp in shock and throwing us into the water while I let out a victorious yell. She let out a blood curling scream right before we hit the water and once we were underwater, I wrapped my arms tighter so I wouldn't lose control of her bewildered body and I pushed her up towards the survice, now facing her.

Everyone was cheering when we came up, and I grinned at her who was in total shock still.

"Edward!" She screeched as she wiped the water from her eyes. "Why did you do that?"

"Because you were taking to long to get in." I beamed.

"That was not fair!" She said, looking so cute trying to be menacing.

"Nothing's fair in love and war." I didn't know why that came out of my mouth but it did before I could pull it back. She looked at me befuddled by my comment as I tried to do damage control, "hey Emmett throw me the turtle!" I left her there staring at me, still confused. What reasons could I give her for making such random comment if I, myself didn't understand why it came out in the first place?

From then on, we had a great afternoon, we spent most of lunchtime playing and swimming in the pool, until the empty stomachs called for our attention once again.

It was turning out to be a great day...

* * *

**A/N: So I know that the whole James thing is still up in the air but I wanted to give the gang a day to relax after having such a chaotic night. Besides, it's only lunchtime right now in the story, a lot of things could happen through out the rest of the day ;)**

**Hope you liked this chapter and thanks for reading! Leave a comment if you wish! (It would make me very happ****y if you did ;))**


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